Living and Learning
by justalittleliar
Summary: Aria and Ezra couldn't be more in love. But what will happen when she falls pregnant? How are things going to turn out? Are her parents going to be supportive? Rated T to be safe. Review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**Hello fellow readers!**

**Haha, welcome to my first fan-fiction ever! I was too embarrassed to post it here before, but my best friend, who's my loyal reader, has convinced me finally. I just wanted to point out a few things before our journey together starts, if that's okay with all of you.**

**1) I am a teenager Brazilian girl who is in love with Pretty Little Liars, especially Ezria. I think they are amazing together. Okay, so, seeing that English is my second language (the first one would be Portuguese) and that I am young, please be nice to me, teehee.**

**2) The chapters seemed a lot longer in my Word document, and when I transferred them to the website they kind of shrinked. However, I promise they will gradually get bigger, noting that as we speak I am typing Chapter 20, so yeah. Plus, I'll also be updating very frequently.**

**3) If anything is bothering you, please tell me. But please, do it nicely, I beg you. And don't just point it out, give me suggestions and tell me where and how I can improve. Remember I'm still an apprentice, lol.**

**I truly hope you all enjoy this fic as much as I enjoy writing it. Have a good time!**

**Sincerely,**

**Me (:**

**CHAPTER 1**

Aria stared blankly at a plain wall of Ezra's apartment. He was sleeping peacefully, with his head resting on her shoulder and his arms wrapped around her waist. He had had a tough day at work. She looked down at him, so happy to be there with her loved one in her arms. Ever since they had told her parents about their relationship, it had been hard for them to see each other. That day had been totally crazy, Aria thought; Ezra stood in front of her and her parents and told them everything as she joined him. Byron and Ella just stared at them for a few awkward minutes, in shock, and soon started yelling with anger and frustration. Mike then showed up and punched Ezra on the face, making him stumble. They were forbidden to see each other, and Aria was put under house arrest. She chuckled as she reminded herself of all the other crazy things she had to do to keep seeing him; going out with Holden, sneaking out, making up excuses, having her friends cover for her, etc. In between of going through all those memories – which weren't too far away from that moment, actually – she accidentally shifted a little, awaking Ezra. He opened his eyes slowly, still trying to focus his blurry vision, and looked up at her.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay, I had to do it sooner or later anyway." He chuckled, stretching over to kiss her. Leaning on her knees, Ezra found strength enough to rise from the couch, stumble to the kitchen and come back with two glasses of soda. "There you go", he said, handing a cup over to her and sitting comfortably on the edge of the sofa.

"Thanks."

"Ah, I still have some papers to grade, damn it. You can write that down, being a teacher is _not_ as easy as it seems." Ezra said, laughing softly.

Aria laughed too. "Well, I also have homework to do, so you can work on your job's issues as a teacher, while I work on mine as a student, right?"

Ezra smiled and bent down to place a chaste peck on the top of her head. He walked up to his desk and started evaluating his students' quizzes. Aria opened her dark blue tote and took out her English book and notebook, making herself comfortable on the floor and spreading the material over the coffee table.

Later that evening, after he was finished, Ezra walked over to his girlfriend and pulled her hair back, gently kissing her neck while looking at her paper. She giggled. "Ezra, please, I'm trying to finish this!"

"The answer for question number eight is Atticus Finch." He pointed out nonchalantly.

"Wow, thanks!" She wrote that down and closed her stuff, turning to him. "You're an amazing English teacher, did you know that?" He kissed her passionately on the lips, tasting her new strawberry-flavored lipstick as they proceeded to lay on the couch, starting a lovely make out session.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Ugh, I hate turning in chapters as short as these to you guys, it's so embarrassing. I'm really sorry /: Forgive me. Not much happens here, but it is a bridge for our next chapter.**

**CHAPTER 2****  
**

Rosewood High was busy, as always, with frenetic students walking here and there all over the hallways. Aria walked side to side with Hanna, stopping by at Spencer's locker to meet her.

"Morning, Spence!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"Hey, guys", she said, smiling.

"Oh, by the way, have you seen Emily? I kept calling her yesterday and she just wouldn't answer me", Hanna complained, clearly annoyed.

"She had to visit her grandma in Harrisburg, seems like she's been having a few health issues." Spencer informed as she closed her locker and pulled her books closer to her chest, its pages brushing against her ruffled shirt.

"Oh. Well, couldn't she at least have told me that?" They laughed at Hanna's hilarious ego and walked to their first period linking arms.

The four first periods passed quickly and they headed to the crowded cafeteria, where they took their usual chairs and sat down, settling their food trays on the table. Aria asked Spencer to use her cellphone so she could call Ezra.

"Ezra?"

_"Hey baby!"_

"Are you at work?"

_"Yeah, but I'm just planning a lesson. I can talk."_ Aria could tell he was smiling.

"I haven't seen you since last Wednesday, things have been a little intense at home, and Mike's having some problems and stuff. So, do you wanna meet up?

_"Of course, you can come over tonight..."_

"Okay!" Aria grinned as she twirled a piece of her shiny brown hair on her index finger. "So I'll tell my parents I'll be spending the night at Hanna's."

_"Alright, I'll order some food once I get home. What do you want today, Greek or Chinese?"_

"Greek seems perfect. I mean, we always have Chinese anyways!" They both laughed.

_"Okay, Aria, I'll see you later! I love you."_

"I love you too, bye."

Aria hung up, gave the phone back to its owner and asked Hanna if she could be her alibi. The rest of the day passed even more quickly, and everybody went home. In the car, Aria told her mother that she needed to sleep over at Hanna's house that night because she had been kind of sad over a fight with Caleb. Of course Ella said yes, she knew how loyal and helpful her daughter was to her friends.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Aria packed a small bag with pajamas, clean underwear, makeup and clothes for the next day and headed out the door. She drove impatiently to her boyfriend's house and, taking the spare key under the carpet, opened the door. He wasn't there, and as she walked inside the apartment, she noticed the bathroom was locked, meaning he probably was in there. Aria decided to rest her bag on top of his dresser and take off her boots. She made his messy bed and folded a few sweaters for him, tidying up the place a bit. A few minutes later, Ezra got out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and was not surprised to see Aria there. He walked up to her and kissed her lovingly.

"I missed you." He said, looking into her eyes and grinning.

"I missed you too", Aria replied as she walked away from him and opened the refrigerator, taking a root beer out of there and giving it to him. "Are you hungry?"

"Oh, shit! I knew I was forgetting something. I didn't order our food, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I already did that for you. You have been so overwhelmed with work lately that I knew you would forget", they chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You are amazing, Aria Montgomery, have I ever told you that?"

"A few times, maybe." The couple laughed at Aria's attempt to appear nonchalant.

The food arrived not too long later and they sat in front of the TV to watch a movie. She wanted to see The Notebook for the second time that month, but he didn't mind and put his arm around her shoulders, her head resting on his.

The film ended with Aria practically drowned in her own tears, sobbing because it was so beautiful. Ezra looked at her and laughed.

"What?" She whined, grabbing a tissue and attempting to wipe them off her face.

"Nothing, it's just funny to see you cry over a movie. You rarely cry." He said, playing with her hair.

"Well, sometimes we just have to let it out, you know?" An awkward silence came up.

"Um, yeah. I noticed you have been more sensitive ever since the whole thing with your parents..."

"Yeah, I think it kind of got to me", she smiled softly in between tears. They were watching a documentary on History Channel when she interrupted an hour later. "Ezra, can I, um, ask you something?"

"Sure, honey."

"Has my dad ever done anything to you? You know, by giving you extra hours or even saying something you didn't want to hear?" Another silence came up, but Ezra soon broke it.

"Um, nothing much I guess. He just went over to my office once to tell me to stay away from you or else he'd call the police, and we had a little disagreement, because I responded to him, and he got mad, you know. But other than that, nothing." He said nonchalantly, though uncomfortably. Aria put her face between her knees and slet out a huge sob. Ezra noticed it and hugged her, giving her gentle kisses on her temples. "Baby, what's wrong? It's okay... Please don't cry."

"I hate this." She murmured.

"Me too, trust me." Ezra sighed, caressing her hand.

"Why can't they understand? We love each other and are a couple, it's that simple!" Aria glared at him.

"I know, Aria, but not everyone sees these things."

"I miss you twenty four hours a day, Ezra. Every time we say goodbye, I just wish we had one more kiss and wonder if I'll turn to see you again. It's too hard." She yelled, sinking her face into his chest. He caressed the back of her head and lifted her chin, wiping her tears with the other hand and looking deeply into her big hazel eyes.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Aria stared at him for several seconds, feeling her heart beat faster. How could someone always know what to say, when to say and how to say. Why was he so perfect? She suddenly threw her lips over his, pressing them against each others. Ezra explored her lower lip with his tongue, begging for entrance. As soon as Aria condoned it, he slowly let it into his loved one's mouth, massaging her own. He stopped, smiled and returned to the kiss, putting even more passion and hunger into it. Their tongues met each other as the couple laid on the couch. She began to unbutton his shirt, not bothering to break the kiss.

"Aria…" He mumbled. Aria break off the kiss carefully and looked at him, her eyes full of certainty.

"It's okay, I'm ready." She assured him.

"Are you sure? We can do something else, you know. We don't have to do this, Ar-."

"I am very sure, Ezra. You're it, and I want you." They gazed into each other's eyes for a few more moments and smiled, promptly resuming the hot make out session. He unzipped her silky shirt and threw it on the floor as she finished doing the same. They interrupted the kisses a little bit as she stumbled to the bed and made herself comfortable there, waiting for him while he went to the bathroom to get a condom. Ezra crawled over the bed and on top of Aria, kissing her with love whilst unzipping her navy blue shorts.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I honestly don't even know why this is a chapter at all lol. Oh well, seeing that I started writing this like a year ago (that makes a huge difference considering my age group), it's kind of understandable. But it compensates for Chapter 3, which has been the longest so far haha. Hope you're all enjoying the fic.  
****  
**

**CHAPTER 4**

Aria woke up with a ray of sunlight shining through the open window and on her face. She carefully managed to leave the bed without waking Ezra up and stumbled to the bathroom. Aria looked at her reflection on the mirror: smudged makeup and tangled messy hair. She let a jet of hot water cover her body to relax, and used some soap to clean herself and a little bit of her boyfriend's shampoo and conditioner to wash her hair thoroughly. She couldn't help but be happy about the previous night she'd had with him. Not happy. Exultant. It had been the best night of her life, she thought as she wrapped a towel around her hair. Aria slipped on the light pink dress she had brought along with her favorite brown thighs and started doing her makeup. First foundation and concealer, then eyeliner and mascara. She heard a noise and a pleasant smell coming from the kitchen, it was no one but Ezra making breakfast.

He offered her eggs as soon as he saw her and pressed his lips against hers. Aria took a plate and sat on the couch to eat it, she was starving.

"Did you sleep well, baby?" He asked with a glowing smile on his face.

"Amazingly well. You?" She responded, taking a piece of egg to her mouth.

"I had never slept any better." They chuckled. Ezra glanced at the clock ticking on the wall as he chewed on his food. "Aria, it's 7.45 am! You don't wanna be late for school, do you?"

"I don't", she said laughing and kissing him softly, grabbing her purse. "I'll see you Thursday at Hollis?"

"Definitely." He thought for a moment and stopped her just as she was opening the door. "Aria, wait!" He walked over to her and grabbed her hand, "I just wanna say I'm glad we slept together yesterday and that it makes me really happy to know that you trust me and chose _me_ to have your first time with."

She looked at him and smiled, cupping one side of his face on her hand. "I love you, Ezra."

_**- o -**_

Aria parked her car in her usual spot and made sure to grab everything she needed: her purse and the latte she had managed to buy on her way to school. She made her way out of the vehicle and locked it, pulling her bag closer to her and walking away. She took a sip of her coffee and threw the foamy cup in the nearest trash can. She had a few text messages from that morning and the night before. One of them was from Emily, another from AT&T, from a girl in her Algebra class and finally, from Ezra. She replied to all of them, leaving her boyfriend's one for last. _Have a good day, love you_, he had typed. Aria just smiled and responded, butterflies flying around in her stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi everyone. I decided to post one more 'chapter' for you guys tonight, since this is only a bridge one. Enjoy and please review (:**

**CHAPTER 5**

Ella reached and gave Byron a gentle peck as he grabbed his suitcase and headed out the door the next morning, taking a sip of his coffee. She filled Mike's cereal bowl a little bit more and turned to do the dishes from the previous night's dinner. Aria flew down the stairs, dressed in a high waist blue skirt with a band T-shirt. She drank quickly a glass of iced tea, grabbing her purse and motioning towards the front door.

"Mom, are you coming or not?" She asked. Aria was so eager to go to school that day because she still needed to study for a quiz and also because Spencer needed to talk to her.

"Aria, it's 7.25 in the morning, trust me we're not late." Ella said matter-of-factly, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I have to tell you something, your dad has a last-minute congress in New York, and I'm coming with him. We're leaving this afternoon, and I'll need you to look out for your brother."

"Mom! I'm not a baby, you know!" Mike said, irritated. Aria walked up to him and leaned on the back of his chair, stroking his hazel hair just to annoy the boy.

"Okay, Mom, everything's going to be fine. Don't worry about us."

"Oh, and Aria!" She said, turning to face her daughter seriously. "Don't try anything funny."

At school, Aria did her best to pay attention to classes because that way the day would pass faster. During lunch hour, she managed to finish all of her homework for Friday so she could enjoy more of Ezra's company that Thursday.

_- o -_

Aria went straight to her art class when she arrived at Hollis. There, she waved to her colleagues, took her seat and started working on her new project: a small flower vase. An hour and a half later, she listened to her teacher's final instructions and said goodbye, leaving the room. However, instead of turning right at the end of the hallway, she turned left, where Ezra's office was. There was a tall student with beautiful afro hair asking him about an upcoming test, so she leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the girl to leave. She smirked friendly at the college student as she walked past her, then came in shyly.

"Hello there." She said, sitting on Ezra's lap and sweetly kissing his lips.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'll update one more chapter tonight, so wait patiently. Oh, and I've forgotten to add a disclaimer to the previous chapter, but here it is. Sorry about any mistakes or typos, I didn't have much time to revise this one. But oh well, have fun.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars, even though I wish every single day that I did.  
**

**CHAPTER 6**

When Aria came home that evening straight from Hollis, her parents were nowhere to be found. She walked over to the kitchen to drink a glass of juice and encountered a note stick to the fridge. It carried Ella's fancy corsiva handwriting.

_"Aria and Mike,_

_We've already left and will come back on Sunday morning. There's food enough in the freezer for the entire weekend. Please take good care of yourselves and the house._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad"_

Aria smiled and threw herself on the couch. She was happy they were going to be away for a while, things had been tough between them lately and she felt she needed a break. She was almost falling asleep when Mike rushed into the house, talking on the phone and laughing excitedly.

"Okay, I'll be right over! Haha, it's gonna be awesome!" He barely noticed his sister's presence and ran up the stairs to his room. Aria followed him and leaned against the doorframe, watching Mike stuff a few things into a small lacrosse duffel bag.

"Mike?"

"Oh, hey Aria, I was going to call you. I have to get to Harry's house, we're gonna watch the Quakers' game! It's gonna be legendary!" He exclaimed, continuing to pack.

"But Mom said you had to stay here so I can look after you."

"Well, I can't tonight. I'll probably sleep over at his house, so don't wait for me. I'll see you tomorrow at school, ok?"

"Fine, I guess." Aria said defeated by his arguments. Her brother kissed her on the cheek and left the house practically running.

Aria walked to their shared bathroom and took a quick shower, wrapping a towel around her. She moved to her room and slipped on some comfortable sweatpants and a tank top, pulling her hair up in a ponytail. She was going downstairs for a glass of water when an idea came to her mind. She quickly swallowed it and rushed to the bedroom, grabbing her laptop from the desk and sitting crosslegged on her soft bed. Aria opened her e-mail and started typing a message fast and excitedly.

_ Hey Ezra,_

_ My parents have gone to a congress in North Carolina this afternoon and Mike is spending the night at a friend's house. That means I am completely home alone. If you want to come… (:_

_ Love, Aria_

She pressed send without thinking twice and browsed the web while waiting for a response. Emily sent her an IM message asking if she wanted to come over to study for the quiz they were gonna have the next day. Aria answered saying she couldn't because she'd already studied and was busy, which wasn't a lie at all. A few minutes later, she checked her inbox and noticed Ezra had replied.

_ Alright, but are you sure about this? Aren't they going to show up or something? Because I don't want to get us in more trouble than we already are. Anyway, I'll be right there. Love you._

Aria smiled as she bit her lower lip. She closed her laptop and went to the kitchen. Because she knew Ezra would be hungry, she took some food out of the fridge for him and sat on the couch to read a magazine while she waited. Ten minutes later, Aria heard a knock on the door. She rose from the couch and walked up to the door to look in the peephole. Once she realized it was Ezra, she invited him in and for a long kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry if it's bad, as I said before, my time is a little short today. I'll try to do better tomorrow. Goodnight everyone (;  
**

**CHAPTER 7**

After eating their instant meal, Aria and Ezra cuddled on the couch watching a funny show on television. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and was resting her head on his shoulder.

"How was the rest of your day?" She asked during the commercials.

"Um, I didn't really do anything. I just went home, took a shower and started reading a book, that's when I saw your e-mail." They resumed the previous, sweet silence, going back to watching the various products that were being announced.

"It's funny to have you here with me. I mean, at my house." Aria added minutes later.

"Why, baby?"

"Well, I never thought you would come here to stay with me. If Mike was here there is no chance it would happen, but… He isn't. And that's good." Aria said as they both grinned and he kissed her forehead. She looked up at him and pressed her lips against his. He smiled and kissed her back, giving her slow pecks. Ezra traced his tongue against her lower lip asking for entrance, which was obviously conceded. They just stayed there, making out for a long time until Aria invited him upstairs and then to her bedroom. As they entered it, she locked the door just in case her brother came home early, and soon laid on the bed with him, exchanging more passionate kisses. Ezra broke off their connection, looked her in the eyes, and when she nodded, he smirked and kissed her again. Aria unbuttoned his shirt, and he did the same to her blouse, involving the brunette in pure love.

~~ o ~~

The following morning, Aria awoke slowly to find Ezra's bright, blue eyes looking at her lovingly. He pulled her closer to him and pressed their lips together, both of them smiling. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand: 8 am. Aria jumped out of bed and quickly rushed to the shower as Ezra got up and made her bed for her. She picked a T-shirt and black leggings with some simple combat boots and got dressed while he did the same. Aria then ran to her vanity and started brushing her hair and doing her makeup super fast.

"I am so late!" She cried to herself.

"Calm down, you still have ten minutes to get to class, you're gonna make it." Ezra said, kissing her temple.

"I hope so," she said getting her purse and kissing him. "I gotta go, are you going to Hollis today?"

"Yes, but my first class is only at eleven."

"Okay." She smirked.

They left the house and said goodbye with a discrete kiss. Each one of them entered their own car, fastening their seat belts and making themselves comfortable. However, Aria's car wouldn't work and she panicked, she had five minutes for her first class to start and couldn't be late. Her only choice right now was to ask Ezra for a ride. But it was so risky, someone could see them. However, she did have an important quiz and couldn't miss it at all. Crappy dilemma, she thought. She decided to get out of the car and knock on her boyfriend's window. He was almost leaving the driveway, but Aria explained everything to him and hurried into the vehicle. Ezra drove quickly to Rosewood High, even though he was really scared someone would see them together, after all, he had already been her teacher and everyone acknowledged that. Ezra dropped her off in the parking lot and Aria left the car, slamming its door shut. She leaned over the open window and gave him a light, grateful peck.

"Thanks!" She said sincerely.

"No problem, have a great day, baby!" Ezra shot her a smile.

"You too. I love you."

"I love you more." Aria grinned and waved, blushing at his confession. Whenever he told her he loved her, Aria's cheeks tended to go crimson red. She turned around, walking towards the front door of the building and fading into the halls. Ezra watched her go in, the corner of his mouth pulled up in a silly, foolish 'in love' smirk. He then made a u-turn and went home.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Juicy, long chapter for you guys today. Hope you like it, and pretty pretty please, review and comment about it. I love hearing/reading your opinions 3  
**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned PLL, but I don't.  
**

**CHAPTER 8**

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Either Aria was doing homework, hanging out with her friends or sneaking out to Ezra's apartment, she was definitely busy. Her relationship with Ezra was even better; they truly were soul mates. They hadn't slept together again, but ever since they had taken that step into their relationship, it seemed to have grown stronger.

Aria was at school one morning with Emily. They were walking to their third period talking about a funny TV show when Aria suddenly stopped. She made a face and rushed into the ladies' restroom, followed by her confused friend. As Emily stepped into the room, she heard a noise and searched for Aria in the stalls, only to find her bending over a toilet vomiting. Her loose, wavy hair was almost getting dirty, but Emily pulled it back while rubbing circles on Aria's curved back.

"There, there..." She soothed her.

Emily turned around to get a paper for Aria, who wiped her lips with it as soon as she finished throwing up.

"Thanks, Em." She flushed the toilet, slowly standing up and stumbled over to the sink, where she rinsed her mouth with water and retouched her now messy makeup.

"Are you okay, Ar?" Emily asked, raising her eyebrows worriedly.

"Yeah, I guess. I must've eaten something bad, that's all." She gave a half smile, closed back her tote and they went to class.

**~~ o ~~**

Aria kept feeling nauseous for days, and when she threw up in the school's restroom for the third time that week, she knew she had to go to the nursery room.

"Good morning, sweetheart. What seems to be the problem?" A sweet old lady dressed in white asked her with a smile.

"Um, hi. I haven't been feeling well, I'm vomiting and a little dizzy." Aria said. The woman reached and put her hand on Aria's forehead.

"Mmm, come here sweetie. Sit down and put this thermometer under your armpit." She followed the nurse's directions and sat there for a few minutes, until they could hear a beep. The lady took it from Aria and put her glasses on to check the apparel. "You don't have a fever. Do you want to lay down for a while?"

Aria nodded and followed the nurse to a small, separate stall. She hung her bag on the wall and laid on the stiff bed covered in paper, closing her eyes.

"I'll need to write a little relatory of your visit, honey. Can you tell me what class you're supposed to be in?"

"Sure, I was going to AP English. My mom is my teacher, her name's Ella Montgomery."

"Oh, you're Ella's daughter?" The older woman asked and smiled. "She's a sweetheart! So you're Aria? She talks a lot about you in the staff lounge."

Aria smiled back softly in confirmation. The nurse, who she discovered to be Mrs. Bennetton, had left her alone for a while after asking the questions she needed to know, even though she did leave the running door ajar. Aria just laid there, back down and face up, eyes closed. She was trying to clear her mind and rest a little when a burning sensation consumed her esophagus, going up all the way to her throat. She instinctively sat up and covered her mouth with her hand, searching the stall for a trash can, object her eyes reached quickly. She grabbed it pulling it closer to her chest and threw up inside it, making noises that brought the nurse's attention. Mrs. Bennetton rapidly walked up to her patient and patted her back, holding her silky hair. Once Aria was finished, the woman put the can away, turning back to the awful-looking girl.

"Do you want to go home for the day, sweetie?" Mrs. Bennetton asked with a sympathetic grin.

"Honestly, yes please. I need to lay down for a couple of hours." Aria chuckled nervously.

"Alright, I'll write you a note and warn your mother. Do you think you're in condition to drive?"

"Yeah, I am." She smirked softly and waved to the nurse as she left minutes later. "Thank you, Mrs. Bennetton."

"You are welcome, honey. Feel better!" The lady said sincerely.

Aria walked over to her locker and put some books away, grabbing her coat and closing it back. She turned around and slowly walked to her car, carefully still in the crowded parking lot. She got in, settling down on her seat and letting out a sigh. She then cautiously drove home.

When Aria got there, she stumbled up to her room and closed the door, even though she was home alone. Aria threw herself on her bed and closed her eyes; fifteen minutes later, she was exhausted and almost falling asleep, but a hint of nausea came up to her throat for the hundredth time that day. She jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom and leaned against the toilet, puking a little. When she stood up, her eyes accidentally glanced at a package of tampons on top of the counter and suddenly remembered: she was late. She was _never_ late. Aria started to get worried and more worried. She flushed, cleaned up, drank a glass of water, grabbed her purse and made a quick trip to the nearest drugstore. Aria went over to the cashier and asked the bored-looking ginger where they kept pregnancy tests.

"Turn left on that row and there it is, next to the diapers." She nodded and made her way through the diapers, baby products and condoms. She felt as if everyone was staring at her, while they actually weren't. Aria decided to buy two, each of a different brand, just to make sure.

When she got back home, she concernedly locked herself in the bathroom, took a deep breath and peed on one of the little sticks. She rested it on the counter, washed her hands and walked to her room, where she paced nervously back and forth. She was still home alone, so it wasn't risky to leave the stick there. Aria went back to the restroom about five minutes later, grabbed it and carried it back to her bedroom with her, being careful not to see it yet. She wasn't ready. Her hands trembling, Aria sat on the edge of her bed, took a very deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. The stick was right there, in her shaky hands, screaming "POSITIVE". Aria panicked, tears rolling down her face, destroying the perfect makeup it carried.

"No, this has got to be wrong." Aria whispered to herself as she rushed to open the other test and take it. She kept repeating it out loud for several minutes, until she noticed the waiting time was up. It was another test, another brand, another type, so what could go wrong, she thought. Her heart was pounding and her breath was shaky just like the rest of her body. Aria took it in her hands, exhaled and finally looked at it. Aria completely froze as she realized what the verdict was. Positive.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey everyone, another long chapter for you tonight. Hope this turns your Saturday night even better, it has definitely transformed mine lol. Oh and please review! I mean it, I really adore reading your comments and they really are the fuel that keeps me wanting to sit down in front of this laptop and post all of this jazz to you guys. Please, make an effort and click the Review button after reading a chapter, and take your time to write me a little message. I'd really appreciate it (: Love you, and hope you like this one. I certainly did.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PLL.  
**

**CHAPTER 9**

The next day, Aria was awakened by the alarm clock among her comfy sheets. She slowly opened her eyes, which felt swollen and puffy and sat up on the bed, stretching her back. She suddenly felt the urge to spew out, so she jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, bending over the toilet and doing so. Aria lifted her head in front of the mirror after flushing and saw her reflection: puffy eyes, big dark circles, tear stains, smudged makeup and messy hair. She groaned and turned on the cool water, needing it to wake up and feel better. After tossing her sweatpants into the dirty clothing pile, she got under the shower and let the stream run down her body, wetting also her tangled brown hair.

Aria was feeling terrible. She was nauseous and had a headache because of the bad position she had slept in. Besides that, it was just the emotional frustration. She was expecting a baby, and it wasn't being easy for her to deal with that idea. At least not alone. She felt her throat itch and tears started falling off her tired hazel eyes as she leaned back against the wet wall and slid down, sitting on the floor with her face between her knees. Aria wasn't ready for this at all, it was too much for her to assess.

After calming herself down, Aria stood up and grabbed the shampoo, squeezing the fancy bottle and pouring it on her head, massaging it to spread the product. She did that one more time, then the same with the conditioner. All of that took about ten minutes, and she spread her favorite pomegranate body wash all over her body. Then she decided to end the long shower and go get ready for school. She wrapped a towel around her damp hair and put on a pair of dark washed jeans along with a beige T-shirt and a simple necklace; she really didn't feel like dressing up that day. Aria did put a bit of makeup on though, just a tiny bit of foundation, concealer, eyeliner and mascara to hide the fact that she had cried herself to sleep the night before. She walked up to the bathroom and unrolled the towel from her head, hanging it back on the wall and grabbing a hair comb. She managed to untangle her hair and quickly blow dry it. Nothing too special.

Aria slipped on her white converse and went downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat. Even though she was nauseous, Aria made an effort and ate a little bit of cereal.

At school, she would just go to her classes and sit as far from the teachers as she could, because she didn't plan on paying attention to anything they would say. She really didn't care, all Aria wanted to do was leave that place as soon as possible. During lunch, the girls noticed something was up with their friend. Aria was abnormally quiet.

"Aria, what's wrong?" Spencer asked, clearly concerned. The brunette was resting her chin on her hand and playing around with some peas in her plate.

"Um, nothing. I'm just tired, didn't sleep well last night." Aria lied and gave Spencer a quick fake smile, she couldn't wait to leave.

"Well, whatever it is, make sure you eat that muffin, otherwise I will." Emily joked, poking it with a fork. Aria let out a small chuckle while the others laughed at Emily's remark.

**_~~ o ~~_**

The bell rang some time later announcing the end of the last hour at Rosewood High School. Aria walked up the hallways to her locker beside Hanna.

"So then I told Caleb we should totally go to that restaurant you told me about for Valentine's Day!" Hanna rambled even though her friend wasn't listening at all. Aria interrupted her when they reached her locker and she opened it.

"Han, sorry!" She apologized. "It's just that I really need to go talk to Ezra tonight, and I was wondering if you could cover for me..."

"Huh, yeah, of course!" She said. "Hang out, study or S.O.S?" Those were their excuses' categories, and Aria chuckled lightly.

"I'm gonna let you choose." She smirked softly.

"Okay." Hanna pondered mockingly. "Hang!"

"Alright, then hang it is." Aria said, stuffing her books inside her locker and closing it. She thanked Hanna with a hug and turned around, walking away.

"By the way, you owe me a sleepover now!" The blond girl shouted. Aria waved without looking back and laughed softly. It was incredible the ability Hanna had to cheer her up with her way of being and comments. She began to feel better as she entered her car. However, when she turned the key in the ignition, she remembered what she was about to do now.

**_~~ o ~~_**

Aria drove all the way to Hollis College and parked her car. She took a sip of her water bottle and put it away, grabbing her purse from the passenger's seat and hanging it onto her shoulder. She opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, locking it back and walking away from it. As she entered Charles Dickens Hall, the building where the English department of the university was located, she walked past a small group of female college students who seemed to be talking and giggling about how hot Professor Fitz was. Aria just shook her head and continued to make her way to Ezra's office. She approached the door and knocked hesitantly.

"Come in." He said without looking up, engaged in the papers he was grading.

"Hey." Aria greeted, slowly entering the spacious room.

"Aria!" Ezra was definitely surprised to see Aria there, it was a Friday and she used to go there on Thursdays. He stood up and walked over to her, cupping her face in his hands and leaning to kiss her. When they parted, Ezra noticed something was wrong. The brunette's eyes were getting wet and reddish, and her lips were curving downwards. "Are you okay?"

"Ezra… We need to talk." She said, her voice shaky and clearly holding back tears.

"Huh, okay. Aria-" He stopped for a minute and frowned very worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Ezra took her hand in his and carefully led her to the small couch that rested in front of a wall in his office, sitting beside her and looking at her expectantly.

Aria was trembling. Her hands, legs and voice were shaky, and she had a cold sweat. She didn't want to do this, she wasn't ready. What if he didn't want to talk or see her ever again? What if he left her? What if? Those were questions that insisted on hammering her mind, giving the girl a slight headache as a gift. But she had to tell him, he had the right to know. Aria closed her eyes and exhaled roughly, turning to open them and look Ezra deep into his eyes, spilling the news.

"Ezra- I-I'm pregnant."

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**A/N: Remember to click down here (;**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey, this one is not as long as the previous ones, but ok. I hope you like it anyway, I wish I had managed to give it more of a special tone, but I wasn't really inspired when I wrote it. _Review!_**

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**CHAPTER 10**

"Ezra- I-I'm pregnant."

Hearing his sixteen-year-old girlfriend pronounce those words made Ezra freeze for a few beats. She was pregnant. _He_ had gotten her pregnant. How did that happen? They had been careful.

"Aria, I- I don't know what to say." He was trying hard to find the right words to express his feelings, but they just wouldn't come out. He blinked a few times, as if attempting to assess the information she'd given him just a few moments before. Aria looked down nervously and he brushed his thumb over her tense knuckles. "Are you sure?"

She sighed. "Pretty much, yeah... I just took the pharmacy test yesterday."

"God..." Ezra looked away for a second exhaling roughly and gulping. "This is huge."

Aria swallowed hard, afraid of what was coming next, so she thought the best thing to do was go.

"I know, I'm really sorry, Ezra. I shouldn't have come here-" She said, letting go of his hand while grabbing her purse and standing up in a hurry.

Ezra looked at her confused and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going any further.

"Why are you apologizing? I am responsible too, baby. I should've been more careful. I mean, I used protection but… I don't think it was enough." He looked down shyly and dug his elbows into his knees, his now sweaty hands covering his face and massaging his temples. Aria let out a shaky breath and sat back down, her hands wiping the tears that insisted on coming out of her fearful eyes. Aria was suddenly sobbing despairingly with her hands covering her face. Teardrops stained her jeans as she trembled. Ezra looked up at her and squeezed her hand.

"What am I gonna do, Ezra? What? What are my friends gonna say? My parents? Oh God, my parents..." She mumbled, practically drowning in her own tears.

Ezra leaned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, the other one holding her shaky hand. Aria allowed herself to rest her head on his collarbone, exhaling as she did so and closing her eyes strongly. He let go of her hand to hold her chin, forcing her to look at him. He looked deeply inside her eyes.

"I don't know, Aria." He paused for a breath. "But whatever it is, we're in this together. I love you. We'll make it through this."

Aria kept staring at him, her damp eyes showing love and gratefulness. She thanked God for having such a nice guy beside her, one that respected and loved her more than anything. She was actually thankful every day for it. His eyes showed weakness and affection, but she knew he was being strong. For her, at least. Ezra kissed her forehead and she crashed against him, closing back her eyes while he caressed her hair and hummed their song in her ear. She liked moments like these.

They just stayed like that for hours in a row, in pure silence, contemplating each other's breathing. It was dark when she decided it was best to get going.

"I'd better go." Aria began to gather her things and stand up while he did the same.

"Alright." They walked up to the closed door and he stopped before her, looking at her passionately. "You know I'm here for you, right? And always will be?"

Aria nodded and stood on the tips of her toes to press her lips against his in an affectionate kiss. As they pulled away several moments later, they rested their foreheads together, eyes still closed.

"Ezra?" Aria called, not looking at him, just relaxing against his skin.

"Yeah?" He wasn't looking either, just contemplating that lovely moment they were having.

"I love you."

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**A/N: I will post the next chapter when I get, let's see... 21 reviews! Come on guys, there's _pretty_ juicy stuff coming up the next chapter, I promise (;**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Longest chapter so far, enjoy and review (: Oh, and I don't own Pretty Little Liars. And sorry I didn't post this earlier as promised, my internet crashed. And I just deleted it and reposted because I noticed that if I post more than once within like 24 hours, my update won't show up on the feed, so I just did this to tell the fanfic world that it's here lol ****  
**

**CHAPTER 11**

Aria left Hollis at around eight o'clock and pulled at the driveway of her house ten minutes later. She was feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders now that she had talked to Ezra and he'd told her he was going to be there for her. She still had a knot in her stomach, though. Worry was tearing her up inside. She got out of the vehicle and brushed a leaf off it. Fall was definitely coming. Aria walked up the porch holding her purse and unlocked the door, entering the house normally and closing the door behind her to find Ella sitting on a leather chair with her arms crossed, staring at her.

"Where were you, Aria?" Her mother interrogated.

"Hanna's place, mom. I told you that." Aria said.

"Oh, really? Because- I was cleaning your room this afternoon and spotted something very unusual on your desk." Ella took out one of the pregnancy tests and showed it to her daughter. "Care to explain to me why you had this with you and, most importantly, why the heck it says positive?"

Aria could barely think right; she wasn't planning on that to happen. Ella wasn't supposed to find out this way, and definitely not right now, Aria thought. Her mother was nervously raising her voice to her, almost yelling. What could she say? Aria took a deep breath.

"I-" She hesitated for a second, very scared, but decided to continue. "Mom, I'm sorry… I'm pregnant."

Even though it was already pretty obvious to Ella, hearing her say it was very different. It made it real. It was a thud. The startled woman stood up and approached her daughter.

"Pregnant? How could this happen, Aria? You're sixteen years old, it makes no sense!" She yelled fiercely.

"I was going to tell you, I didn't mean for you to find the test. I just took it yesterday and-" Aria's voice was shaky when her mom interrupted her.

"You're pregnant, Aria, dear God! Do you have any idea how huge this is? You're a teenager!"

"Yes, mom, I do. I'm not exactly happy about it either and I don't want to talk to you about it right now, in case you don't mind." She said as she walked towards the stairs, but Ella stopped her.

"No no no, you're staying right here and we _are_ talking about this _now_!" Her mom pointed at the ground roughly. Aria had one foot on the first step and was holding the handrail tightly, her knuckles white.

"Mom, why do you have to be like this? Can't you be more understanding? All I need right now is your support, and you're not helping at all!" Aria cried, tears building up in her eyes.

Ella turned around, trying to calm herself down, then exhaled and took a seat.

"Is Ezra the father?" She asked more calmly, clearly trying to keep it cool.

"Yes, mom, Ezra _is_ the father." She answered, a 'duh' tone in her voice. What kind of girl did her mother think she was?

"He was your teacher, for God's sake..." The older woman whispered almost to herself.

"I'm aware." Aria quietly rolled her eyes, lucky her mother didn't notice.

"Why didn't you use protection, honey? I figured you'd know better." Ella questioned.

"We did, mom, but it didn't work at some point. We've only been together twice, and, just so you know, both times were after you and dad already knew about our relationship."

"And you still managed to sneak out with him…" Ella chuckled humorlessly.

"Yeah, I did! Because I love him, and I wasn't gonna let you guys tear us apart." Aria said, sounding very serious and determined.

Her mom took a deep breath. "Have you told him already?"

"Yeah, I have. I was actually at Hollis with him right now. " She looked down at her cuticles.

Ella stared at her expectantly. "And?"

"He's by my side, mom. I really love him, okay? And he _clearly_ feels the same way. We're in this together." Aria told her, but no response came. "Can I go to my room now?"

"Go." Ella waved her hand dismissively and dug her elbow on the armrest, taking her hand to her forehead and massaging it, trying to think and calm down. Aria nodded to herself and finished walking up the stairs, turning to her bedroom and slamming the door open. She closed it and threw her purse on the floor, crashing onto the edge of her bed. She just sat there for a few minutes, staring blankly at the ground. In fact, only her stare was blank, because her mind was being stormed with multiple thoughts at the very same time, and it was overwhelming. She struggled to organize those thoughts, eventually closing her big, wet eyes and dozing off.

Aria opened her eyes later that evening. They burned and her long eyelashes felt stiff because of the tears. She slowly stood up and stumbled over to her bag, rummaging through it in the search of her cellphone. Once it was in her hands, she pressed it only to see it was out of battery. Aria plugged the charger onto it and turned it on, checking the time: twenty past three in the morning. Great, she thought sarcastically. There were two new text messages. One from Spencer asking her the answer to question B in their History homework, and the other one from Ezra. She replied to her friend, telling her she didn't know because she hadn't done it yet. Which was one hundred percent true, actually. She then opened Ezra's.

_ Sleep tight, beautiful. Never forget I love you. ~Ezra _

She smiled at how a simple text message from him could cheer her up, even if for mere seconds. Aria replied and rested her phone on the desk, opening the door and heading to the bathroom. She turned the tap and let the warm water stream run out of the shower while she undressed. She moved her hands to the back of her head and wrapped her clean hair in a tousled bun, getting under the water and allowing it to flow through her petite body. Showers had the amazing power to relax her. After a few beats of pure hygiene, Aria turned off the water and grabbed her lilac towel, wrapping it around her body. She walked to the sink and rubbed her face free of makeup, brushing her teeth and hair also. She walked back to her bedroom and slipped on a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt from the school she'd gone to back in Iceland, then walked out of it again heading down the stairs and towards the dark kitchen.

Aria flipped the light switch, turning it on and opening the fridge. She rummaged through it, searching for something to eat and found nothing interesting. Aria sighed and stood on her tiptoes to open the freezer, taking out a pile of instant food packages and closing the small door. She laid them on the counter in the middle of the kitchen and started sorting them, choosing the one she'd like to eat. She finally decided on a Hungry Man containing nuggets, mashed potatoes and a little chocolate pudding. She put the others one back in their place and prepared the chosen one in the microwave. After pressing the required time on the machine, Aria threw the empty package away and drank a glass of juice.

Ten minutes later Aria was already fed, so she cleaned the small mess she had done in the kitchen and turned off the lights, going back to her room and closing the door behind her. She didn't bother turning on the lights, only the lamp beside her bed. She grabbed her laptop and sat down with it on the bed, opening Facebook and her e-mail. Aria looked at her notifications after checking her inbox and clicked on the link announcing Emily had tagged her on a photo. It was a picture of herself, Spencer, Emily, Hanna and Alison from their eighth grade dance. They were all wearing cute, colorful dresses and she had braces. Aria chuckled at that memory, she hated having them, but now she saw what a difference they'd made, her teeth were white and straight. She thanked her parents for that. She looked at Alison in her perfect figure, perfect fitted clothes and perfect hair. She had the power to stand out in pictures and always look gorgeous. Aria sighed and wondered for a minute what her friend would say if she was alive. What would she think of her whole situation? She would probably make her feel even more miserable about it. Well, that was Ali, always a step ahead.

Aria scrolled down her newsfeed and once she'd seen everything she needed to see, she just closed the page and her computer, putting it back on her desk. She laid on her bed again and pulled the covers over her body, grabbing her journal from the nightstand. It was a small burgundy notebook she always wrote on with the pen she usually kept inside it. She opened it and wrote down what was happening at her life, caring to detail everything she was feeling and thinking. She did this until falling asleep, the book open face down on her chest, raising up and down along with her breathing.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey everyone. Just wanted to apologize for the confusion there was with our last chapter. I posted it, then had to delete and repost over and over again. Sorry about the e-mails some of you probably got with the story alert thingy. Aaand, this was kind of a difficult chapter to compose. I just wasn't inspired/didn't know how to express myself too well. Sorry about that too. Hope you like and review it anyway. xoxo (:  
**

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

After waking up and showering the next morning, Aria put on a pair of deep purple short and a grey tank top and walked out of her room and towards the kitchen. Nobody was there because it was a Saturday, the day everybody she knew wanted to sleep in. She opened one of the cabinets on the wall on top of the counter and searched for food. She wasn't feeling too sick, so that was the perfect opportunity to really have something to eat. She took out of there a colorful box of _Froot Loops_ and grabbed a small bowl. She rested the box next to the sink, walked over to the fridge and took a carton of milk out of there. Aria poured the milk into the bowl and did the same with the cereal. She put everything away and opened the first drawer, grabbing a spoon and tucking it into the bowl. She looked through the window; it was truly nice out. Aria grinned softly to herself as walked to the small porch her parents had annexed to the backyard when they had first moved into that house. She opened the wooden running door that led to it and walked up to the end of the balcony, glancing around the little yard they maintained there.

Although relatively small, the Montgomery's backyard was well-conserved and full of green. The grass, always politely trimmed, was wet with dew and smelt amazing. The few flowers they had there were simple ones in shades of pink and purple and smelt like heaven. Aria had always liked the smell of nature. That day, however, it was making her sick. She felt her throat itch, so before things got any worse, she just rushed back inside the house, remembering to shut the door behind her. She rested the cereal bowl on top of the round dinner table and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and exhaled softly, trying to feel better. Not too many moments later, the itch ceased and her stomach growled. She looked down at it, startled because of the weird noise it made as her hand went over it. She realized it was pure hunger. She grabbed the bowl again and walked over to the spacious living room with it, throwing herself onto a small beige love seat and taking the spoon to her mouth. It didn't take long for the tiny girl to eat it all. In fact, she _was_ eating for two now.

Aria stood and took the empty bowl and spoon back to the kitchen, settling it inside the sink and turning the register on just to cleanse it a little bit. She then stretched her arms and walked back up the stairs to her bedroom. She closed her door and sat on her unmade bed, grabbing her fully charged cellphone and checking it. She had three messages. One was from AT&T telling her once again about a new discount you could obtain in case you bought their new plan, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. It didn't really matter, so she just went ahead and erased it. The other one was from Spencer. Aria pressed it open and read it. Spence was telling her "thanks anyway (:" because of the message from the night before. Aria answered with a "no prob, just ask (;" and went back to her home page, where it said there was now only one message unread, which was from Ezra. Aria opened it and read.

_ Are you feeling okay? ~Ezra _

She had completely forgotten to tell him about the previous night. When she had replied to his goodnight wish the night before, she had just wished it back and told him she loved him. That was all. For that reason, Aria immediately texted back.

_- I guess. My mom knows everything though, she found out last night... ~Aria_

Several minutes later, he replied.

_- Whoa, you okay? Uh- How? ~Ezra_

Aria pulled her legs up and crossed them over the mattress.

_- She said she was cleaning my room and found my pregnancy tests. She's pretty mad. My parents are still asleep, but we'll probably talk about it when they wake up. I'm too scared. ~Aria_

She was indeed scared. Not scared. Terrified. She had really no idea what to expect from their possible conversation, but arguments, disagreements, anger and shame. Fine, she already knew what her mother's reaction was, but what about her father? What would he say? Would he disown her? Hate her? Be ashamed of her? In fact, what would they feel? Her parents thinking together were equal figures, they decided the same things. Could she bear it all? Aria sighed shakily and looked back down at LED screen shining brightly, announcing she had gotten a new text.

_- Everything's gonna turn out alright, Aria. If anything goes badly, I want you to know that I'm here for you and we'll make it through together. I love you!" ~Ezra_

When Aria read that message, she couldn't help but smile. She just knew he really meant what he was saying, and that was one of the reasons she loved him so much. Ezra was always - or almost always - honest with her.

_- I love you so much, Ezra. Thank you for being here. ~Aria_

The moment she pressed send, she looked up startled by the knock on the door she'd just heard. Before Aria even got a chance to ask who it was, Byron opened it slowly and peeked inside the room, a weird expression on his face. He entered it completely and started walking further inside, glancing around awkwardly as he did so. His eyes ran up Aria's mountains of books that went from sparkly vampirish novels to international literary classics, then up her desk, walls, and bed. He approached his daughter and sat on the end of the bed, not wanting to make himself comfortable.

"Your mom told me everything." Aria just stared at her father paralyzed, waiting for him to say something else. "Why, Aria? Tell me, where did we go wrong with you? I thought we had raised you better than this."

Byron glared at her for a second, expecting the girl to spill a justification or apology. All she did was look down nervously, though.

He continued quietly. "First you tell us you're seeing your former English teacher, then you come home pregnant. I don't think I even recognize you anymore, really! Where is that responsible, mature girl who used to share with her parents everything that went on in her life?" He paused, exhaling. "I had so many plans for you... Then that idiot comes in and decides to mess everything up!"

Aria took part angrily. "Do _not_ call him an idiot, because he is _not_!" She softened when her dad glared back at her.

The two of them just stayed quiet for a few minutes, avoiding each other's eyes and voice.

"I'm sorry, dad. I really am. I didn't mean for this to happen." She whispered, playing uneasily with her sweaty hands clasped on her lap.

"Saying sorry is not going to fix this." Byron said, still not looking at his preoccupied daughter. Aria looked up at him, trying to understand what he meant. When she couldn't, she asked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her forehead was curved in a worried, questioning frown.

"Your mother and I, we think you're too young to be a parent, Aria." He paused and took a deep breath. "So, we thought this over last night and… We're taking you to an abortion clinic tomorrow first thing in the morning."

She couldn't believe her ears. Burning tears began to make their way across her cheeks. Aria was speechless and paralyzed, she tried to say something, but because she hadn't assessed that information yet, she wasn't able to think of proper words. Byron didn't show any emotion whatsoever, he just nodded silently to Aria, stood up and coldly walked out of the room shutting the door behind him.

Aria didn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day, or ate, or drank, or stood up. She just lied on her bed all day, alternating between sleeping and staring at the ceiling. Her phone went off a bunch of times, it was probably Ezra or her friends trying to reach her, but she just let it ring. She didn't feel like talking to anyone whatsoever at that moment. Actually, she wasn't even hearing it ring. Her thoughts were far far away.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Howdy! So so sorry I took so long to post this chapter, but here I come with it. It's just school and stuff, finals approaching and all that jazz you all probably understand. Anyways, you know the deal, read and review! Hope you like it! Oh, and I _told you_ the chapters were going to gradually get longer, a-ha! Sorry for any typos. _Review!_  
**

**P.S: Byron should fall off a cliff. Just saying. And so should Jason. Who does he think he is, really?****  
**

**Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own Pretty Little Liars. Great show though.  
**

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**CHAPTER 13**

Aria rolled on her bed at around five in the morning, opening her eyes for the fourth time that night. She rubbed her eyes, sore from all the crying and sleeping and slowly stood up and stumbled to the bathroom. She threw herself under the cold stream coming out of the shower and closed her eyes, trying to make that headache go away. She walked over to the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked terrible, and just as she was about to take care of that, Aria's throat began to burn, so she quickly leaned against the toilet to puke. Great, she thought rolling her eyes. Aria went back to the sink, moisturized her skin and brushed her teeth. Then she applied a little bit of makeup to conceal her tired face and went back to her room. Still wearing her bathrobe, Aria sat down on her bed and checked her cellphone for the first time in hours. Seven messages from Ezra and three from her friends. Her boyfriend was clearly worried about her, asking if she was okay, how things had turned out, if she needed him to come talk to her parents, etcetera. Aria really wanted to reply, but she was unfortunately out of service. She grunted in annoyance and put it away, standing up to get dressed.

There was a lot waiting for her that day, and Aria wasn't sure how she would be able to get through it. She didn't even know what to expect. In fact, deep inside she hadn't really understood what her dad had meant the day before.

Aria slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans, a T-shirt and some combat boots. She reached for her drawer and took out of there a cereal bar, taking it to her mouth after unwrapping the plastic around it. Then she walked over to her wall shelves, searching through the dozens of books for one specifically. She finally found the copy of _Winesburg Ohio_ Ezra had given her months before and started reading a few excerpts he had highlighted for her. She ran her eyes over each one of the lines with the neon yellow mark, reflecting about each of them. One of them caught her attention, though. It said "_Only the few know the sweetness of the twisted apples._" Aria smiled. That was a perfect phrase to describe their relationship in some way; only they truly understood it. No matter how difficult or risky it was, she and Ezra really knew how to enjoy that madness. They were mad. Mad in love with each other.

Aria flipped the page and got lost in her reading. She was always so delighted with books like those that the world could explode and she wouldn't notice. She looked up quickly as a soft knock on the door interrupted her bookworm trance. She glanced at the time on her nightstand: 7.30 AM. Mike slipped his head into the room before walking in completely.

"Hey," he said walking over to his sister, who gave him a half smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she lied and quickly changed the subject as he took a seat next to her on the bed. "What are you doing awake so early in a weekend?"

"I don't know, I just didn't sleep well last night. I- I heard mom and dad talking, they were kind of arguing I guess. About you, you know. I know about... Yeah. So, I wanted to check if you were okay." He said gently. Aria grinned at her little brother and reached for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and felt safe as Mike welcomed her.

"I'll be okay." She broke apart several seconds later, wiping a tear before it could manage to leave her eye.

"Aria, if you feel like talking to anyone, you can come to me, you know. You were there for me when I was having a tough time, and now it's time for me to make it up to you."

Aria cocked her head thankfully and rested her hand over his.

"Thanks, Mike. I love you, lil' bro." Mike chuckled and slid his hand out of the confines of hers, tapping the back of it while standing up. He was smiling when he left her room.

Aria smirked. She had such a great brother, they got along so well. She was thankful for that. Of course, they had their fights and arguments sometimes, but that's what siblings do, right? They're those friends you can fight as much as you want and still be sure they'll not going to stop loving you.

She resumed her reading, forgetting about the world once again. That is, until her mom opened the door.

"We'll be waiting for you in the car," she nodded to her daughter very seriously and shut it back again. Aria sighed and closed the book, stuffing it into her wool tote, grabbing it and walking out of her bedroom. She went down the stairs and the porch, heading towards her dad's vehicle. She walked slowly to it, spending every heartbeat in an effort to assess what was about to happen. She opened the silver door and sat down on the backseat, shutting it back and leaning her shoulder against the window. Aria did notice her parents were arguing, but stopped when she got in.

The clinic was still in Rosewood, but a little isolated. It was a twenty minute drive.

The car was quiet, nobody dared to say a word. Aria was sitting in the same position she had been ever since she had gotten in the vehicle, looking out the window as it rained. Her hands rested over her belly and caressed it in a slightly defensive way.

Aria's phone went off one time during the ride and she remembered. She was supposed to have texted Ezra back to tell him everything, but she'd forgotten. She reached for her purse, laying on the floor next to her feet. She rummaged through it, searching for the apparel with her hands. She took out the cellphone and looked at the caller ID. Ezra, just as she hoped. Right when she was going to answer, her father turned around on the driver's seat, reaching and taking it from her.

"You're grounded, Aria." Byron said. "Let me see it."

The girl was going to say something, but her dad had already taken the phone from her and looked at it. She watched as Byron pressed the red button, shutting Ezra out.

"Hey," she complained and her mother shot her a look.

"It's for your own good," Ella said strongly, tucking her daughter's turned off phone into her pocket.

"Besides, I really don't want you to keep seeing him. Not again," Byron glared at her through the reflection in the small mirror that hung on the ceiling of the car. Aria's mouth slightly parted in an incredulous expression.

Several minutes later, Byron entered a little roundabout and parked quietly. Her parents exhaled and opened the doors, leaving the car. Aria wasn't ready to do so, though. While her father walked over to the clinic to check in, Ella waited for her pregnant teenager. Aria had her eyes closed and was taking deep breaths to calm herself down, and was startled when her mother knocked on the window to rush her. She opened the door and slowly stepped out of the vehicle, with her purse on her shoulder and her hands clasped protectively over her stomach. Ella shut the door closed and motioned for her to move, following right behind her.

The place was tidy and clean, but still felt very creepy. The walls were painted in a very light green and there were a bunch of plants and flowers all over the room, surrounding the four rows of plastic seats for the patients. Ella murmured for Aria to ake a seat and joined her husband at the front desk. He was filling a form which was part of the procedure. There weren't many people there, only a guy wearing a cap backwards. He stood up and left the room to smoke a cigarette, probably waiting for his girlfriend to finish her procedure.

Aria was practically paralyzed, just looking around and playing nervously with her bracelet. She had some kind of butterflies in her stomach, and not the good ones. She wasn't feeling good about any of this, at all. She started thinking of her brother, her friends, Ezra, and her baby. Oh, her baby. She stroked her belly and wrapped her arms around it, hugging it tightly. Her eyes began to fill with water and a sob flew up her throat. She covered her face with her hands and put her head between her knees, crying even more. Her parents finished checking in and sat down in front of her, side by side. Byron asked a nurse for a glass of water and put his hand on his daughter shoulder, handing it over to her. She drank it all in one big gulp and tried to pull herself together. The same nurse came back a few moments later with a sympathetic smile.

"The doctor will be ready for you in about twenty minutes, he's just finishing a procedure, is that okay?" Aria didn't say anything, but her parents nodded and thanked the woman for the update. Ella grabbed a magazine from the coffee table and Byron, the newspaper. Aria wiped her tears with her hands and slouched on her seat, her arms surrounding her chest defensively. She stayed like that for a few more minutes, until she stretched her hand coldly in front of her mother.

"Can I have my phone back?" She almost demanded.

"What are gonna do?" Ella asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, just wanna play a game to unwind," she lied in an annoyed tone. Ella narrowed her eyes at her while she moved her hands to her pocket and took out the black phone, handing it over to Aria.

Aria waited a little until her parents were distracted to stand up and head towards the restroom on the side of the room quietly. She quickly closed the door and let out a huge sob she had been keeping ever since they had gotten there. She leaned against the sink and continued on crying desperately. When the tears ceased a little, she looked herself in the mirror and stared, pondering. Then, Aria grabbed her cellphone and dialed Ezra's number as fast as she could. He answered on the first ring.

"Aria," he seemed very worried. It was comforting for her to hear his soothing voice, though, as nervous as it was at the moment. "Where have you been! I've tried calling you, I even called your friends… I-" Ezra noticed her sobs on the other end of the line. "What happened?"

"Ezra…" She whimpered. "Can you- can you come pick me up?"


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: One more chapter for you guys, I personally find this one rather cute. _Review! _**

* * *

**CHAPTER 14**

Aria sat in the waiting room completely restless on her chair. Her whole body shook and her head spinned. The nurse had come over a few minutes before and told them that the girl had already finished her appointment and that the 'doctors' were just getting everything cleaned up and prepared for Aria. Ella flipped through a magazine as she looked over at her nervous daughter.

"Aria, breathe. It'll be fine, you'll be done in no time," she said in a bored tone. Aria didn't mind her mother, she just looked around. Where was Ezra? Was he going to get there before she was sent in?

It didn't take long for the glassy front door of the clinic to slam open and for Ezra to enter the place, impatiently searching for his girlfriend. His blue eyes ran through the spacious room until they landed on her.

"Aria," he sighed in relief. The girl looked up, attention drew from the usage of her name with his voice. She stood up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his chest and sinking her face into it. Ezra welcomed her warmly and rested his arms around her, caressing the back of her head soothingly as she cried despairingly, her sobs loud and tears staining his green sweatshirt. "Shhh..."

Byron and Ella settled their readings back on the small coffee table and stood on their feet, surprised with the man's presence. They waited until their daughter was calmer to interfere.

The crying girl looked up at Ezra when her whimpers subsided. He looked back down at her and brushed a piece of brown hair off of her eyes, gingerly placing it behind her ear. He leaned over to kiss her forehead and she closed her eyes, intending to feel the peck and allow it to soothe her.

"What are you doing here?" Ella questioned seriously.

Aria softened her grip and turned to face her parents, who were standing there with their arms crossed. She stood beside Ezra and embraced his right arm, practically hiding behind it.

"Aria called me and told me to come pick her up," he told them cautiously. Ella and Byron glared at her, waiting for an explanation.

"I don't wanna do it, mom and dad. I- I can't!" She cried, now slightly tightening her grip on her Ezra's sleeve.

"Aria," her father said. "You have no idea what you're saying. You can't have a baby, it's too early for that. Come, they're almost ready for you." He extended his hand to her.

"Fine, but I'm not ready for them. And I don't think I'll ever be!" Aria stated, painful tears still running across her face and ruining the little mascara she had on. She looked up at Ezra, "Can we go?"

He was about to say something when Byron interrupted.

"You're not going anywhere! We're your parents and _we_ are the ones who tell you what to do, plus, let me tell you: you made a _mistake_, and I'm not gonna let you keep it!" Aria glared incredulously at him; she couldn't believe what he had just said. She noticed anger in his eyes as Ezra squeezed her hand. She just shook her head disappointed and turned around, grabbing her purse and heading out the door. Ezra stayed there, not knowing what to do. Byron and Ella's attention turned to him.

"I'll take care of it," Ezra said hesitantly, carefully beggining to make his way to the door.

"Oh, I think you've done enough!" Byron raised even more his voice, clearly irritated, but Ella put her hand on his shoulder to calm her husband down.

"Just let them."

**_~~ o ~~_**

The drive to Ezra's apartment was silent. Aria rested her head on the passenger's window the whole time, watching as the houses and trees ran across her vision. He pulled next to the sidewalk and settled the car there, turning to look at Aria. She looked too dispirited. He reached to lay his hand over hers. She looked back at him, using her thumb to stroke his palm.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," she gave him a half, sincere grin. They opened the doors and left the car, heading towards the building where Ezra lived. He pressed a button on the visitor's ID identificator and the door opened. He used his feet to make the gap wider and Aria stepped into the hall. They made their way to the elevator and to his floor, number three. Ezra searched his pockets for his keys and fit one of them into the lock, turning it and holding the door open for Aria. She entered the apartment as he followed behind, shutting the door.

Aria hung her purse on the back of a chair and launched herself onto the brown leather couch, wrapping her arms around a pillow. Ezra walked over to the kitchen annex and stood in front of his Nespresso coffee machine, tucking a sachet into the aperture and pressing the right buttons, letting the warm liquid pour into the purple mug she normally used. He turned the machine off and grabbed the mug, walking over to Aria and handing the hot chocolate to her.

"I'll order Chinese," he said as he watched her devour the chocolate milk hungrily.

Aria nodded and grinned softly. "Thanks for getting me."

He smiled back and winked, leaning to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll always be there to get you if you need."

Ezra held up a finger as he took his cellphone and moved it to his ear after scrolling through his contact list for a certain number. He ordered their dinner and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on. He sat down next to Aria and rested her legs on his lap. They watched a random show while he massaged her feet gently.

The doorbell rang half an hour later announcing the food had arrived. Ezra removed Aria's legs from his and stood up, opening the door to pay the delivery guy and closing it back. He took the cartons to the kitchen and settled them on the counter, opening one by one and pouring some of its contents on plates. He grabbed two forks and the plates and walked back to the sitting room, giving one of them to Aria. She ate everything hungrily, as if she hadn't eaten in days. Well, she kind of hadn't. Because of the morning sickness and all the tension going on in her life, she kind of stopped taking care of herself. Ezra sat next to her and they silently ate their dinner. When they were finished, she sat on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing circles on her back.

"So, do you wanna tell me exactly what happened that led you to that clinic?" Ezra said in a moment.

Aria exhaled. "Well, right after I texted you on Saturday, my dad told me they were going to take me _there_ today. I just couldn't assess everything, and I wasn't able to call you, I-" Her voice trailed off.

"It's okay, baby," he patted her back. "And how did you feel while you were there?"

"I- I don't know. I hated that place the moment I got there. It was just so creepy, you know? And I started thinking about it… I just can't do such terrible thing to my baby. _Our_ baby," she put her hand on her belly. Ezra did the same, stroking it with his thumb.

"I love you, Aria." She didn't say anything, she only leaned to kiss him on the lips. "And," he continued, "if your parents try to force you into doing this and you feel it's wrong, don't do it. It's _your_ morals you have to follow."

Aria nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "I would never do that to our baby, never."

Ezra leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against her still flat stomach, caressing it with his hand.

"I know," he smiled.

They just sat there, with Aria snuggly seated on his lap. Ezra hummed their song, Happiness, over her ear while slowly stroking her hair. Being there with him was heaven. Oh, she loved that man. Too much, indeed. And that is how she fell asleep, curled up in his warm, welcoming arms.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey, I am so so sorry I took so long to post this, I really am. It's just that midterms start on Monday and I have homework and daily life, etc. Oh, and I've had writer's block these days, so it was super hard for me to write this chapter (I already have it written, I just try and do it again as much as I can). I apologize for any typos or things that don't go well together, I don't know, it was too difficult. Sorry. Oh and you should deff check my other PLL fanfic out. It's a one-shot, but I'll make more chapters if you guys want. Go ahead, read my stories and review both of them. Love you all.  
**

**CHAPTER 15**

Aria opened her eyes hours later to find Ezra shaking her arm and holding her buzzing cellphone up.

"Aria, your mom's calling!"

She rolled her eyes behind her long eyelashes, attempting to close them back again. "Ugh, just let it ring."

"But she's already called about seven times!"

Aria snorted, resting her elbows roughly against the leather couch and looking up at Ezra with a bored expression.

"Can you tell her I'll be spending the night? I really don't wanna see or talk to her," she said pleadingly. Ezra glared at her skeptically. "Please?"

"Huh, okay," he took a deep breath and pressed the green button, accepting the call. "Hello Ella, um, it's Ezra. Yes, she is here with me, she'll be spending the night. She's eaten and is already asleep. Ella, please, I- She'll be at school tomorrow, I promise." Ezra was clearly nervous as Ella clicked the line dead.

"What did she say?" Aria asked apprehensively, sitting up and pulling the thin blanket closer to her.

"Um, basically that you're in trouble. She's stressed, Aria. Promise me you'll go home tomorrow after school?" He looked at her seriously.

"Fine," she mumbled, sinking her face onto a pillow that was leaning against the comfy armrest. Ezra locked the keyboard of her phone and settled it on the coffee table, making his way around it to sit on the sofa next to her. He moved his arm to her back and rubbed circles, caressing the ends of her brown hair. "Can I ask you something?" Aria murmured finally.

"Sure, baby."

"Would you go back if you could?" Aria wondered, sitting up to face him. Ezra grabbed her stretched legs and put them over his lap, pulling his girlfriend closer to him.

"Do you want me to be completely honest?" He asked. Aria gulped and nodded slowly. Ezra opened a smile. "Never."

**_~~ o ~~_**

Ezra groaned and grabbed the alarm clock from the nightstand, turning it off and setting it back on its place. He closed back his blue eyes as he exhaled, preparing himself to get up. He slowly sat up on the warm bed, being careful not to wake Aria up. She was sleeping so deeply, and she really needed to snooze some more. After moving his arm off her, Ezra stepped out of the mattress, stumbling to the bathroom. He took a quick shower and put on a pair of grey dress pants with a white shirt and a vest, the traditional teacher look Aria loved so much. He walked up to the bed again and took a piece of hair off Aria's face, kissing her forehead. She opened her eyes and slowly looked up at him.

"Morning, beautiful," he beamed. Aria reached and gave him a lovely peck on the lips. Ezra chuckled and walked over to the kitchen, making some coffee while she searched for strength and courage to stand up and face the day. By the time he was finished, she had already taken her turn on the shower. Because she didn't want to go to school wearing the same clothes she had worn the day before, Aria chose carefully one of Ezra's t-shirts and slipped it on, accentuating her waist with a belt she had with her, along with her jeans and combat boots. Aria walked up to the kitchen area and saw that Ezra had made not only coffee, but was also placing scrambled eggs on a plate, which was handed to her with a smile. She thanked him as they sat in front of the coffee table facing each other.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked while chewing.

"Yeah, I'm still really tired though," she yawned. "I heard that happens when you're preggers."

Ezra chuckled and took a piece of food to his mouth. They continued to eat in silence, and by the time they had cleaned up their plates, it was time to leave. Ezra was going to take Aria to school, so they got in the car and drove doing small talk; she was still emotionally fragile from the day before. When they arrived at Rosewood High, he pulled over next to the sidewalk and looked sincerely at her.

"Anything you need, just call me up and I'll be there, alright?" He told her, really meaning it. Aria nodded gratefully and got out of the vehicle.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she leaned over the passenger's window and stretched her neck, giving him a discrete peck on the lips. She then waved and turned around, walking towards the school. Ezra watched with a soft smile as Aria entered the building and faded into the crowded halls.

**_~~ o ~~_**

As soon as Aria got to school, the bell rang and everybody quickly made their way to their respective classrooms. She walked up to her locker and quickly shoved her cardigan inside it, grabbing her books and shutting it again. Aria glanced at the schedule she'd scribbled on the back of a binder and exhaled as she remembered what her first period was. AP English. With her mother.

Aria wasn't excited at all. Ella wasn't really the first person she wanted to see at that very moment. She was still hurting from the day before and didn't want to talk to her mom. Even so, Aria took a deep breath and knocked on the classroom's door, slowly opening it.

Ella stood in front of the board and held up a book, explaining some things about it. Everybody's heads turned to late Aria when her head peeked inside the classroom. Ella exchanged glares with her daughter, even though Aria was hoping to avoid them. She shrugged and waved her hand, motioning for her to take her seat. Aria pulled her books closer to her and walked across the classroom past her mother, sitting down on her usual chair.

About forty five minutes later, the bell rang. Aria quickly shoved her books into her bag and threw it over her shoulder, standing up and hurrying to leave the room beside the other students. However, she was stopped.

"Aria, can I see you for a moment?" Her mother said, sitting down on her desk and crossing one leg over the other.

"I don't know, _can you_?" Aria mocked.

Ella ignored her daughter's comment and folded her hands in front of her. "Why didn't you come home last night?"

"Oh, you're _really_ asking me that? Don't you remember how you and dad treated Ezra and I yesterday at the clinic? Saying I had to do whatever you told me to, and that my baby was a _mistake_?" Aria attacked, raising her voice.

Ella closed her eyes for a moment taking a deep breath. "Honey, we just want what's best for you. You're too young to be a mother."

"I might be," Aria cried. "But that's no reason to murder my child! That's pure cruelty, mom! It's the same as you killing me or Mike, don't you see it?"

The older woman didn't say anything, she just looked down silently. Aria glared willfully at her mother for a few more seconds, proceeding to turn around on her heel and storm out of the classroom stomping her feet on the ground. And even though Aria was doing her best to stay strong, she was trembling and her heart was racing.

The bell rang announcing the end of the school day. Aria grabbed her things and stood up from her seat in her Social Studies classroom. Spencer joined her and the two of them walked out the room and into the busy hall, filled with anxious students relieved with the thought of going home. After doing what they needed in their respective lockers, the two brunettes went over to the school's parking lot and got in Spencer's car, heading for her house. Hanna and Emily had promised to be there as well. Aria was glad they were going to gather for an afternoon together, they hadn't had a reunion like these in a long time, just the four of them. That was a great opportunity, because Aria didn't enjoy the idea of going home, and she felt that if she could postpone that event, she would. As much as possible. She _was_ breaking the little promise she had made with Ezra, but it was for a good cause.

**_~~ o ~~_**

"Hanna!" Spencer yelled impatiently. "Hurry up with that popcorn, the movie is about to start!"

"Gosh, calm down! I'm almost done!"

They were all cozying up on the couch in Spencer's living room with a green blanket covering their legs. Hanna soon joined her friends with a bucket of popcorn on her hands, offering some of it to everyone. The film finally started, presenting its title right away: Juno. Aria froze, and everybody just kept on watching it normally. However, when the scene where Ellen Page finds out she's pregnant was presented, Aria started sobbing. She could relate it to her life. All three girls glared at her, worried.

"Ar, are you okay?" Emily frowned.

"That's not even the sad part yet!" Hanna scoffed concernedly. All Aria did was try and wipe some tears off her cheeks, but they just seemed not to cease. She tried to mumble something no one understood, so Spencer muted the television and turned around to face her, stroking her forearm to comfort her.

"I'm pregnant!" She spilled, digging her face onto Hanna's shoulder.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

The girls just stared at Aria, their jaws hanging. None of them expected to have such a bomb dropped on them that day, it was a big surprise. Aria took a few moments to sit up, releasing her face from Hanna's shoulder and wrapping her arms protectively around her knees. Everybody was speechless, they would just gaze in silence. However, Spencer was the one to finally break the ice.

"Wow," she exhaled. "I didn't even know you and Fitz had... You know."

"Yeah… Gosh, this is… New." Hanna stammered, blinking slightly.

"Wha-what are you gonna do?" Emily asked after letting out a sigh, squeezing Aria's hand.

"Yeah, like, does he know yet?"

"Oh! And what about your parents, have you told them?"

Aria adjusted herself on the couch and sighed. "Yes, they are all well aware… My parents dragged me to an abortion clinic, but- I couldn't do it. And that was yesterday, guys. I slept over at Ezra's and I _really_ don't wanna go home."

"Aria!" Emily reached and rested her arm around her shoulders, giving them a light squeeze.

"We _are_ here for you, you know that right?" Spencer told her matter-of-factly, taking her hand while Hanna nodded in agreement, stroking the pregnant girl's curled hair.

Aria smiled, her eyes still damp. "Thanks guys, you are the best. You truly are!"

"We love you, and you're tiny," Hanna exclaimed as they all got together for a big, warm group hug.

**_~~ o ~~_**

It was almost eight o'clock when Aria left Spencer's place to walk home. Her friends had offered her a ride, and when she denied they still insisted, but she really wanted to feel the chilly breeze of Rosewood on her face and the smell of the perfectly neat gardens. It would help her unwind. Nevertheless, she couldn't help thinking of the huge headache she was probably about to experience as soon as she entered her house. It definitely wasn't something she looked forward to.

Aria unlocked the door and quickly entered the living room, not minding anyone's presence. Ella was in the kitchen with Mike doing small talk, and the fact that the girl had suddenly flown up the stairs to her bedroom definitely caught their attention. Aria slammed the wooden door shut, threw her purse on the floor and kicked off her shoes, sitting on her bed and checking her cellphone. The LED screen lit up brightly, warning her she had new text messages. The majority of them were from her friends, telling her to stay strong, that everything would be okay and that they were there for her. Aria grinned. One was Ezra's though, he wanted to know if she was okay. She was replying robotically to everyone when she heard a knock on the door. Aria didn't say anything, but Ella came in gingerly anyway.

"Hi, honey. I see you're home." No answer. "There's grilled chicken in the fridge if you want some, I know how much you like it."

Was she really going to act like nothing happened, Aria thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

The daughter didn't move one muscle to interact with Ella, all she did was lay her head on her brown pillow and continue to text. Ella nodded awkwardly and backed, walking towards the door silently, but stopped halfway and turned around.

"Aria, listen, I'm sorry. Maybe your dad and I were wrong when we took you to that clinic, but you have to see it from our point of view too! Our sixteen-year-old, who had a _brilliant_ future ahead of her, is pregnant with her former English teacher's baby! We don't want you to lose that future. We love you, and just want what's best for you."

"Well, that's not what it looked like," Aria muttered, noticing she looked like one of those immature teenagers we see on movies. "You didn't even ask what I wanted!"

Ella took a deep breath and glared at her daughter, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, you're right. Aria, what do _you_ want?"

Aria sat up straight and put her phone away. "I never wanted to have a baby at this age, but it happened! We were careful, but again, _it just happened_! And at least it is with someone I _love_ and _trust_ more than anything in this world. Mom, Ezra is the person I want to spend the _rest_ of my life with, don't you get it? He's the one, I am sure. And he is totally by my side, mom!"

"And by that, you mean…?"

"If this is what happened, then that's how it will be! I am going to have this baby _with Ezra Fitz _and we're gonna raise it and be the best parents in the planet, alright?" She declared fearlessly and determinedly. "Plus, I still have a nice future ahead of me. I'm having a baby, not doing drugs!"

"Are you sure?" Her mother scowled, concerned.

"More than anything." Ella just looked at her daughter for a few seconds, trying to read her thoughts. When she finally realized Aria meant it, she nodded seriously and stood up.

"Well, then I guess Ezra will be coming over for dinner tomorrow night," she said, bending over to place a chaste motherly kiss on Aria's forehead and leaving the room.

**_~~ o ~~_**

After calming down, taking a relaxing warm shower and slipping on PJs, Aria grabbed her cellphone and dialed the one certain number she knew by heart.

"Ezra, baby? I have good news."

* * *

**A/N: Review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Okay, here's chapter 17 for you all. Hey, please comment, otherwise I feel like I'm writing to a wall. This was a very hard chapter to write, both times. Like, reeeeaaaally hard, so sorry if it didn't come out great.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PLL.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 17**

Aria came home after school and rushed into the warm shower. It was already four in the afternoon; she had gone out for a coffee with Emily. After that, she blow dried her brown hair and used a curling iron to shape it. She walked towards her room and opened her drawer, taking out the outfit she had picked out for the occasion. She slipped on the red tribal wool skirt and a loose long sleeved black shirt. Aria sat on her chair and grabbed her lacy thights, sliding them around her legs. She then grabbed her black knee-high boots and put them on, zipping them on the side. The girl stood up and made her way to her wooden vanity to do her usual earth-tone makeup.

When the clock struck five thirty, she settled her blush brush on its place, declaring finished her makeup. Ezra had said he'd be there in thirty minutes, so there still was some free time. Aria walked out of her bedroom and went downstairs to find her mother busy in the kitchen, attempting to do some multitasking. Aria approached and took the salad from her hands, placing it on the counter and grabbing the wooden spoons to mix it. She was already causing so much nuisance in that family that she wanted to feel helpful for once.

"Thanks, honey," Ella said, turning her attention back to the spaghetti on the stove.

"No problem, mom," Aria grinned at the woman.

Mother and daughter just stayed there, working hard and rushing to get the meal that was supposed to be served that night finished, until the ring of the doorbell awakened them.

"I'll get it," Aria said, settling the utensils she had been working with on the counter next to the bowl and jogging over to the front door. She unlocked it and turned the doorknob, making the entrance free for Ezra. He looked amazing, truly. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a dress shirt and a blazer. As soon as he laid eyes on Aria, Ezra showed off his pearly whites and stepped inside, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek.

Ella walked over to them wiping her hands with a towel.

"Hello, Ezra," she greeted him politely, taking the flowers he handed over to her. "Thank you, they're beautiful. I'll just go put them in a vase."

Aria smiled at the both of them and took the man's hands, leading him to the brown leather couch, sitting down beside him and making sure he was comfortable.

She squeezed his hands and beamed. "Wow, I can't believe they actually invited you over for dinner!"

"I know, right? And I was gonna bring a bottle of wine, but that didn't sound like a very good idea." They chuckled. That was true, Aria thought.

She sighed happily. "This is so much progress; we're going to be able to really talk to them about our situation, Ezra. This is great!"

Ezra smirked and pressed his lips against hers affectionately for a few seconds, shutting out the world.

Ella cleared her throat.

"Oh god, mom!" Aria exclaimed, startled and frowning at the serious woman.

"Aria, can I see you in the kitchen for a moment?"

The girl looked over at Ezra and stood up, following her mother.

"Honey, your father has just walked past you two and asked me to talk to you. Just because we're making an effort to assess your relationship by inviting Ezra over to dinner does not mean the two of you can go around doing whatever you want. Please don't test us. Understood?"

"Yes, you're right, sorry." Aria knew Ella was right; she had been given a chance not to mess anything up and was wasting it by crossing boundaries. When she walked back to the living room, Byron was sitting on a chair next to Ezra, who was clearly trying to make small talk, even though it was awkward. He wasn't comfortable. Nobody in that house was.

**_~~ o ~~_**

They all sat around the dinner table, eating silently. The spaghetti looked great, and tasted amazing. Too bad the air was too heavy and awkward for any of the people in the room to truly enjoy the meal.

"Um, so Fitz, thanks for coming over tonight," Mike said. "It means a lot to Aria. _And to us_." He shot a look at Byron, trying to break the ice for his sister. Ezra smiled gratefully at him and turned to the girl sitting beside him. She looked very nervous, so he squeezed her hand underneath the table, offering her a sympathetic grin.

The room remained silent. Byron looked down at his plate while Ella pushed some meatballs around with her fork. When Aria reached the final conclusion that her parents weren't going to say anything - mainly because they didn't know what to say - she tried to be humorous.

"Hey people! Are we gonna keep not talking or what? This is a dinner, it's supposed to be social, y'know..." She softened as Byron gave her a look. "Come on, please say something!"

"You're right. We're sorry," Ella told them. Ezra just sat there looking at each one of them tensely, caring not to let go of Aria's hands once she had sat back down.

"I wanna know how the two of you met," Byron suddenly demanded very seriously. Aria and Ezra exchanged looks.

"It was in a bar just before school started," the young man started. His girlfriend's parents scowled at him, probably wondering what the hell their teenage daughter was doing in a bar. He quickly corrected his phrase. "I was having a drink while Aria here had a cheeseburger. We started talking and found out we had a lot in common. I thought she was older..."

"And I didn't exactly deny," she added.

"And next thing we know…"

"We were kissing. We exchanged numbers and then, next thing we know, he was standing in front of a classroom calling himself Mr. Fitz," she finished, forcing a smile.

Her parents narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

Ezra inhaled and proceeded to explain. "Byron, Ella, please understand that we tried to end this, because it wasn't right but- we couldn't."

"We loved each other way too much for that," she affirmed, shutting her fingers tightly around his and shooting him a caring smile, which was reciprocal.

"And, incredibly, it has always felt right," he chuckled slightly.

During that final line, Ezra wasn't looking at the Montgomery's anymore, he now looked passionately into his loved one's hazel eyes. Ella shifted in her seat, noticing the way his eyes sparkled.

Byron blinked a few times, settling his hands in front of him. "Okay, but… How did you get pregnant, Aria? I still don't get it."

Aria could honestly feel her cheeks turn crimson red as she exchanged shy glances with Ezra. "You know, dad. The usual way..."

"No, dear God! I mean why?" Byron snapped shaking his head and trying to get that image out of his mind. Mike seemed to be doing the same.

"I wish I knew. But we can't back down now," Ezra nodded with certainty and Byron looked down. "What's done it's done."

Aria brushed her thumb across his sweaty palm as the blue-eyed man proceeded to stand up determinedly.

"Byron, Ella. Mike. Please listen. I love Aria so much and I am sorry for the trouble our decisions caused but… I am here for her, and always will be._ I mean it_. I care about her _and_ this baby, and I would never do anything to hurt her, because she's incredibly amazing and special. I am _lucky_ to be with your daughter and have her in my life; I just wish you would understand how much she truly means to me."

Aria looked up at him, wiping tears off her eyes to prevent them from rolling across her face. She smiled and stood up, throwing her lips over his. Right there in front of her parents, yes, but she didn't care. When parted, she turned to her family.

"I love him too, too much actually. He's the one I want to be with for as long as I live, okay? We're going to have this baby. Together. And raise it, once again together. And I truly- _truly_ wish you would support us, because I also love you guys with all my heart. You're my family."

Ella's eyes were watering, but she tried to hide it discreetly while her husband just looked aside for a moment and pondered.

**_~~ o ~~_**

After dinner, Mike went up to his room while Ella stayed in the kitchen with her husband, clearing the table and discussing their daughter's situation. Ezra and Aria just went to the living room and sat there.

"Gosh, that was intense," Ezra exhaled.

"It sure was."

"Do you think they might start coming around?" He wondered.

"I really don't know, I-" She was interrupted by her mother, who cleared her throat before speaking. Byron was standing right behind her.

"Okay, so after listening to you two tonight, we have come to the conclusion that-" Ella sighed. "That you may stay together."

The young couple stood up, completely exultant and surprised.

"Wow, really?" Aria asked for a confirmation.

"Yes. I mean, you two _are_ having a baby, there's not much we can do about that." The woman noted as they all nodded in comprehension.

"However," Byron manifested. "I do want to clarify that I, in any way, think this relationship of yours is right, okay? Because it's not."

Everyone just did their best to ignore his comment and don't get hurt by it. Aria wrapped her arms tightly around both her parents simultaneously. They hugged her back, it had been a while since they'd last shared a good hug with their dear daughter. She let go of them several beats later, smiling happily at them. Aria turned to Ezra and threw herself on his arms, allowing them to surround her affectionately. He looked into her eyes gladly and pressed his lips against hers and then leaning to rub her stomach and kiss it caringly.

**_~~ o ~~_**

Aria was in her room later that night, just cleaning up and getting ready to go to sleep when her mother came in knocking. She looked up at her.

"Hey," she smiled brightly.

"How're you doing, sweetheart?"

"Great!"

Ella grinned at her response and sat on the end of the bed, patting the place next to her in order for her daughter to sit down, which she did.

"You know, honey, when you two were speaking tonight at dinner I- I saw the way he looked at you. And it was so- real…"

"Mom, our relationship is nothing but real, I've told you that."

"Okay, but tonight was the first time I actually understood it,"she sighed. "And the way he kissed your belly, honey... It was beautiful."

Aria smiled softly. "Yeah, it was pretty great..."

"Listen, even though I am not comfortable with the fact that he was your teacher or that you're having his baby... You do have my blessing, Aria."

She looked at her mother, clearly moved by the older woman's words. Beaming, the girl wrapped her arms around her, pulling her for a tight hug they both needed. After a few moments, mother and daughter let go of each other and sat up straight.

"I was thinking, we have to schedule a doctor appointment for you," Ella told her. "A real doctor."

"We do."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: OMG I am too sorry I have taken so long to bring you chapter 18! Really sorry, it's just that I've been really busy. But I hope you like it, I do. Oh, and I'm afraid I'll have to put this story to a small hiatus because I will be gone for a month. I'm going to Spain with the school this Friday, and only coming back by the end of July. Please understand, hehe. However, I'll try and post as soon as I get back, I promise! Love you all, and keep reading and commenting. Xoxo****  
**

**P.S.: I made a Twitter just for FanFiction and my stories, so go follow me there. I'll try and keep you all updated on the progress of it, my ideas, what I am doing and all that jazz. It's  just1littleliar. I'd really appreciate it (:**

* * *

**CHAPTER 18**

Ella had called the family doctor and scheduled an appointment for that Friday. Aria phoned Ezra the day before to let him know about it, wanting to know if he would like to come with them. Of course he said yes.

Her mother picked her up early at school in the middle of her third period, and they headed to Apple Rose Grills for lunch. The strawberry-blonde waitress led them to a table and took their order as they sat across from each other: salad for Ella and grilled chicken for Aria.

"Are you excited?" Ella asked her daughter while taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Yeah," Aria smiled shyly. "I don't know what to expect, though."

"It's going to be okay, honey, you'll see. What time did you tell Ezra to get there?" She asked.

"Huh, one twenty five, I guess."

"Okay," Ella glanced at her watch. "That means we have... About one hour and twenty minutes to finish eating."

The food didn't take long to arrive. The meal continued pleasantly, and they felt good about the much needed mother-daughter time, making nice conversation. It was going to be an interesting day, Aria thought.

**_~~ o ~~_**

The two of them arrived at the doctor one hour later. They exited the car with their purses and entered the place, which smelled like fresh roses and was very well decorated. Definitely a peaceful place, completely opposed to the _other_ clinic. They walked up to the front desk, being welcomed warmly by a young, friendly receptionist. She had short black hair and wore red rimmed glasses, her smile was bright and comforting. They leaned over the counter.

"Good afternoon, what can I help you ladies with?" The woman asked, and Ella concentrated on the badge attached to her blouse: June.

"Hello June," she said. "My daughter has an appointment with Dr. Silverman at one-thirty."

June nodded and looked down at the computer in front of her, scrolling down and searching for the names. "Oh, here it is. Are you Aria Montgomery?"

Aria grinned. "That's me."

"Alright, sweetie," she looked at the girl. "Dr. Silverman will be ready for you in a bit, you and your mom can wait here in the reception."

"Thank you."

"Would you like a tea or something? I make a really good one."

Ella chuckled. "No, thank you, June. We've just had lunch."

Mother and daughter walked further to the center of the room as Ella excused herself to go to the bathroom and buy some coffee down the street. It wouldn't take long, she said. Aria just nodded to her mom and searched for a chair, even though the waiting room was relatively empty as far as she could see. She took out of her purse a book she'd been reading and was about to sit down when she heard her name being called.

"Aria Montgomery?" A female voice said surprised.

Aria turned around and her hazel eyes widened at the sight of her very pregnant Algebra teacher.

She gulped and ran a hand through her hair. "Mrs. Schneider? Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Well, as you know, I _am_ expecting a baby," the blonde teacher raised an eyebrow at her. "May I ask what _you_ are doing here?"

"I, uh..."

Just as Aria was about to make up an excuse, Ezra stormed into the room and power walked over to the girl, pressing his lips against hers.

"Aria, hey! I really hope I'm not too late!"

"No, um, actually..." She didn't even have to say anything; Fitz had already seen his former colleague there. His eyes grew wide and he clenched his jaw, swallowing a big gulp. Schneider was staring at them with a very surprised look on her face as well. Lucky them, the doctor called Aria's name. She glanced over at the door by the sound of her name and slightly intertwined her fingers with Ezra's, leading him to the office. Neither of them lost eye contact with the woman, though, or else it probably would've been worse.

**_~~ o ~~_**

They awkwardly made their way into the doctor's office. It was very well decorated and pleasant. A tall, blonde woman in her late thirties motioned for the couple to take a seat.

"Hello, you must be Aria. I am Dr. Harper Silverman." They smiled and shook hands.

"Yeah, that's me."

The doctor turned to Ezra. He was shifting uncomfortably on his seat, probably still worried about the previous occurrence.

"I'm assuming you're the father, am I right?" She asked.

"Yes. Ezra Fitz," he held out a hand and she took it with a friendly beam. She grabbed her classes and adeptly tucked its ends behind her ears, taking out a pen and beggining to scribble something on a piece of paper. It looked more like a formulary.

"So, Aria, before we begin the ultrasound I would like to ask you a few routine questions, if that's okay. Just for the record." Aria nodded and Harper went on. "How old are you?"

"I am sixteen," her cheeks went bright pink and Ezra squeezed her hand.

"Alright," she wrote that information down. "Do you know how far along you are?"

"Um, I'd say about two months. I didn't really do the math."

"I see. Any spots or cramps?"

"Not at all."

"Headaches? Any pain?" The doctor continued to ask without looking up, her pen never leaving the paper.

"Nope."

"Do you ever experience morning sickness?"

"Yes, I get that a lot. Although it had considerably subsided this past week," Aria told her.

"Oh, that's completely normal," Dr. Silverman communicated. "It will probably be gone before your third semester, don't worry."

They all chuckled. She still asked a few more questions, and then told Aria to lay down on the gurney so they could start the ultrasound. Ezra slid a little black bench up to where she was and sat down next to her, taking a piece of hair out of her face and lightly kissing her temple. Dr. Silverman lifted Aria's shirt and carefully applied the cold, blue gel onto her stomach. She slid the apparel over it and made circular movements while the couple stared anxiously at the small screen, searching for some kind of sign. The doctor murmured "a-ha!" when she finally reached her goal.

"Well, Aria and Ezra, there it is! This is your baby," Harper said excitedly, patiently showing them the little fetus on the screen and explaining every single part of it. However, they weren't really paying any attention to her, just holding each other's hands tightly for support and gazing at it, completely amazed by the scene. Especially him. Ezra was so astonished about the fact that he was seeing his baby for the first time. He had created life. Along with the woman he loved more than anything he knew. His eyes started to water a little bit.

That exact minute, Ella rushed into the room, talking nonstop.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, there was a huge line in the coffee shop and-" As soon as she saw that small black and white image, Ella quieted. Her heart began to pound as she got closer to everyone there. She looked down at her daughter and her former teacher, who were now silently looking into each other's eyes, all filled with tears of joy.

**_~~ o ~~_**

When Aria got home later that afternoon, she rushed into her bedroom and immediately pinned the picture of her baby onto her memo board. She just stayed there, contemplating it for a few more moments until her father's voice was heard. He was leaning against the doorframe and staring at his petite daughter.

"Hello, sweetie," Byron said standing up straight. Aria didn't say anything or move, she just turned her head and grinned at him. Her dad took that as an invite to come in. The brunette turned to face the board once again, his eyes following her movements until they reached the same thing she was looking at. Byron's dark eyes widened.

Aria chuckled. "Isn't it beautiful?"

He slowly rested his hand on her shoulder. "_Yeah._"

* * *

**A/N: Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Spain was amazing! Okay, so I rewrote this chapter because it was just so crappy and that fact kept torturing me. Please re-read this because some things changed, alright? And I truly hope you like it! Oh, and I know I've mentioned it before, but please go follow me on Twitter. I made it just for my works of fanfiction, I'll be posting updates about my life and work, ideas, etc etc. You shouldn't miss it, I would highly appreciate if you did click the little Follow button. I promise it's free, hehe! And please review this chapter once you're done reading it.****  
**

**Twitter: just1littleliar**

**Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own Pretty Little Liars.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 19**

The chilly breeze Monday had brought blew as Aria drove through the little roundabout and parked her silver car in her usual spot in the school's parking lot. She reached over to the back seat and grabbed her purse, getting out of the vehicle and making sure to lock it properly. She walked away from it and entered the building as multiple students filled the hallways. The first thing she did once she was in there was stop by at her locker to sort out the books she needed for her first class and grab them. Aria looked around the busy corridor casually, until she spotted Hanna. Wearing a miniskirt and purple pumps, the blonde looked fabulous as she admired her golden curls on the small glittery mirror she always carried with her in her Louis Vuitton tote.

Aria walked up to her with a big beam. "Hey, Han!"

"Oh hi," Hanna closed her mirror, grinning teasingly at her friend. "Look who's in a good mood!"

"I sure am!" Aria said dreamingly and leaned against the row of lockers. "Friday was amazing and I'm still not over how perfect it was."

"Oooh, how did it go?" Hanna was absolutely excited about knowing the details.

Just as Aria was about to begin to tell her everything, Spencer and Emily walked up to them. Even though they were dressed nicely, the two girls looked like zombies. Spencer had probably stayed up late the previous night trying to keep up with the schoolwork and all the worksheets the teachers had been giving out to prepare for the week of tests Rosewood High organized. It was approaching, and what was worse was that Aria hadn't even began to think about it, being as absorbed in the pregnancy thing as she was. About Emily, she'd told Aria that she'd been having trouble sleeping for a few weeks, seeing as she'd started a new medication for the skin allergies that had begun to show up on her tan skin as rashes. They were pretty bad and localized, mostly on her elbows and knees.

"Morning," Spencer yawned as she took a sip of her strong, black coffee. None of the girls could really understand how their friend was capable of enjoying that taste, it was too thick and heavy for them.

"What's up?" Emily questioned casually, scratching her itchy elbow briefly.

"What is up is that I was about to tell Hanna about my doctor appointment..." Aria informed nonchalantly.

"Oh! Do tell!" The others' faces suddenly enlightened as curiosity and excitement substituted their tiredness.

"Alright," Aria smirked. "I can't even begin to describe how incredible it was, seeing the baby in the ultrasound for the first time and all of that... Oh, I even have a picture of it!"

"I wanna see it!" Spencer pouted.

"And you will, I have a copy of it somewhere in my wallet." She searched through her bag and took out her leather wallet, rummaging through it to find a little black and white photograph of the screen of the ultrasound. She held it up and handed it to her friend as the other leaned closer to take a look. "See if you can understand it though, it's kind of a puzzle, I guess."

"Oh my Goodness!" Emily said, touched. "This is your baby, Ar..."

"I know..." She smirked proudly.

"God... Congratulations, Ar!" Spencer sighed, looking up at the mother of the baby.

"I don't see it!" Hanna cried, frustrated.

"How can you not see it? It's right here!" Emily pointed at a grey blur.

"I can't!" She threw her arms in the air defensively. "How bad of an aunt am I?"

Aria rolled her eyes and took the picture from Spencer. She leaned closer to Hanna and signaled the blur once again. "Here, Han. This is the body of the baby, okay? And here is the head. See?"

A gleam appeared on the blonde's blue eyes. "Wow... It's adorable! Oh no, my eyes are getting wet, Aria. My mascara, oh gosh!" Hanna yelled softly, turning to her locker and attempting to carefully wipe the tears with a tissue, causing her three friends to laugh at her uniqueness. Aria took a last look at the photo and smiled quietly, proceeding to put it away gingerly.

"Mr. Fitz' face when he saw it must've been priceless," Spencer commented, giggling.

"It was, he even cried. It was amazing." A silly smirk appeared on Aria's face as the beautiful memories from that day hurried to her mind. However, they seemed to suddenly vanish. "Oh, there was one _bad_ thing!"

"What happened? Is everything okay with the baby?"

"The baby is fine, but what happened is that, well... When I got to the clinic... You'll never guess who was there."

"Who? C'mon, freaking tell us already! Not -A, right?" Hanna questioned. -A was in the past, thank God.

"No. Mrs. Schneider."

The girls' eyes widened while their chins dropped to ground level.

"Our Algebra teacher?" Emily gasped.

"Herself," Aria confirmed, then proceeding to tell her friends everything that had happened there, how Ezra had come running and kissed her, and how it was a one hundred percent obstetric clinic, so there was really no excuse as to what she was doing there.

The girls frowned and rubbed Aria's bicep supportively. "It'll be okay, sweetie," Hanna told her.

A large crowd of frenetic students dissipated into their respective classrooms as the first bell rang, and the group joined them. The morning went by quickly, with teachers assigning homework and worksheets for their pupils to study at home for the Test Week. Aria exhaled, overwhelmed by the quantity of information and papers that were being dropped on her, but being the good student she always did her best to be, she focused on getting everything done and learned. School was being unvoluntarily neglected by her with everything going on. However, when she looked up from her textbook, the bell rang announcing it was already time for her third period. The problem was it wasn't just a normal third hour anymore. It was Mrs. Schneider's Algebra class, the one she feared ever since she walked out of that clinic on Friday.

Aria grabbed her things and handed in her paper to Mr. Wasserstrom as she followed Emily out of the classroom. They walked side by side towards the next room, her stomach growling. Was it the baby being nervous for her, or were the moths just marking their presence? Yes, moths. Butterflies were for good things, and this definitely wasn't one of them. She took a deep breath before entering and looked over at her friend, who gave her a reassuring smile. Aria pulled her books closer to her chest and put her hand protectively over her stomach as she walked into the room. The dirty blonde teacher was distracted writing some equations on the board, so it was easy for Aria to successfully sneak her way to her seat practically unnoticed. Except for the unoccupied students sitting in the front row, of course.

Mrs. Schneider turned around two minutes later and glanced around the classroom, her dark green eyes landing on Aria, who was pretending not to notice the woman's uncomfortable stare.

Although there was some tension between teacher and student, the class went by normally. Luckily Aria and Schneider - and well, Emily - were the only ones to notice it. The 5'2'' brunette forced herself to focus on the calculations and ignore the weird looks the older woman was constantly throwing at her, but it was hard. She felt self conscious, and her stupid mind was insisting on acknowledging it.

The majority of the students sighed in relief when the bell rang loudly. Mrs. Schneider was giving them some difficult math problems, that was for sure, and they needed a break. At least until the next day. Aria intended on shoving her things into her purse and quickly storm out of the room without having to face anyone, but just as she was about to accomplish her goal, a voice called her name sternly.

"Aria Montgomery, may I see you for a second?" Mrs. Schneider said - although it was really more of an order. She carefully sat back down on the chair and took off her stylish glasses, resting her hands under her huge bump. A chill went down Aria's spine as she looked at her teacher pleadingly. Emily stopped and gestured for the girl to calm down. She nodded and patted her shoulder.

"I'll see you at lunch, Ar," Emily told her as she exited the room, shooting her friend a comforting grin. Aria sighed and turned around slowly, walking back to the teacher's desk and folding her hands over it.

"Yes, Mrs. Schneider?" She asked innocently, her voice unsteady.

"Take a seat, Aria," Schneider said to her calmly. The girl gulped and walked over to the front row, where she sat down and crossed one leg over the other defensively, her hands never leaving her belly. It made her feel safe. If her baby was safe, she was safe. "Don't pretend you don't know why I asked you to stay here and talk to me."

Aria bit her lip. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mrs. Schneider."

The woman snorted and stood up, walking around her desk and resting on the edge of it so she could take a closer look at her clearly nervous student.

"You're a very smart girl, Ms. Montgomery. I'm sure you know _exactly_ what I am talking about."

There was no acting stupid anymore, Aria thought to herself. She had to lay the cards on the table and hope for the best.

"Please don't tell anyone!" She supplicated nervously.

"Maybe if you explain to me everything," Schneider demanded, "I will know what I won't tell."

Aria sighed, knowing there was no coming back. "Ezra and I- we met before school started..." She proceeded to tell her her entire story with Ezra to her Algebra teacher, who listened closely and quietly, showing very little emotion. Once she was finished, Schneider blinked a few times.

"I see." That was all she said for a moment. "And you were at that clinic for what reason?"

Aria could swear the floor moved, because her knees shook so hard it wasn't possible it was just dizziness. A large gulp went down her throat as she wrapped her arms defensively around her stomach and slightly looked up at her teacher. "I'm pregnant, Mrs. Schneider."

The light haired woman glared at her student and looked down. She paced a little back and forth through the room while Aria watched tensely.

"Are you crazy?" She then asked seriously, looking concerned. When Aria furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, she felt it was important to add, "No, seriously, are you crazy, Aria?"

"I..."

"What in the world went through your head for you to engage into a relationship with _your teacher_?" She questioned, her voice gradually raising. "And most importantly, for you to have sexual intercourse with him?"

"Mrs. Sch-" Once again she was interrupted.

"I thought you would know better than this, Montgomery," she said. "You were one of the most mentally equilibrated, promising people in my class! I mean, I thought you were."

Tears welled in Aria's eyes and her voice was weak. "Why does the fact that I love Ezra change that?"

The teacher dug her hands into her straight hair. "So you think you love him?"

"I don't think I love him, Mrs. Schneider. I am sure," she affirmed.

"He's got you brainwashed, Aria. This is a mistake."

"Listen, Mrs. Schneider, I have fought _a lot_ - you can't even imagine how much - for this relationship. Convincing my parents was hard enough, and I feel they haven't fully come around, as much as I'd like to say they have. I didn't expect to meet Ezra when I walked into that bar. I didn't expect to kiss him. I didn't expect to like him. And most importantly, I didn't expect to fall in love with him so deeply. I know you may think I'm just a naive highschooler who knows nothing about life and who will think she's in love with the first cute guy that comes around. But there's where you're wrong, Mrs. Schneider, because you have no idea what I've been through, especially these past years." She caught her breath. "You're no longer a child when your best friend disappears for a year then is murdered. I lived in Iceland, there I went to parties you can't even imagine how messed up they were. How vulnerable to the real world I was. You are no longer a kid when you're threatened and blackmailed by an anonymous person for more than a year. And lastly, you are no longer a kid when you're having a kid! And I feel it's important to add that Ezra was the one who was there for me the whole time. He was responsible for the only truly happy and heavenly moments in my life, okay? We feel the same way about each other, and that feeling is so, so strong, I- Ah."

Aria couldn't believe how the words flew out of her mouth so easily. They reflected exactly what she had been feeling for a while, and how frustrating that conversation was being to her. She exhaled, trying to catch her breath and make it more steady. She closed her eyes for a moment, but soon opened them back again to look up at her teacher.

"Do your parents know about this?"

"Yes, they know about every single thing," she answered slowly. "My mom was actually there with me that day, not sure you saw her, though."

Schneider sighed. "How is Mr. Fitz, I mean, Ezra, dealing with all of this?"

"Honestly? He's perfect, Mrs. Schneider. I couldn't ask for someone better, really. He's the one I want to spend my life with, you know..." She was clearly certain of what she was saying.

"You sure, Aria?" The woman asked simply.

"One hundred percent."

Mrs. Schneider smiled softly.

"What are your plans? Do you want to keep it?"

"Yes, that's kind of the plan. I mean, we are a stable couple. We've been through a lot together, and we really really care about each other. I think we'd make good parents." Aria grinned gently.

"How far along are you?" She stroked her own bump.

"Um, I think probably two months?"

"I see. Well, I'm warning you being pregnant is not easy."

Aria chuckled. "Yeah, I kind of noticed that already. Morning sickness used to kill me. Now it's better, though."

The teacher smiled too, but looked down at her watch. Crap, it was almost twenty minutes into her free period. And Aria's fourth.

"Aria, you have to get to class! Come here, I'll write you a pass." Schneider walked around the table and opened her drawer, pulling out a pile of small yellow papers. Aria watched as she scribbled the information down and detached the paper, handing it to her.

"Thanks," they nodded politely to each other as the girl turned around to leave. She was just about to exit the room completely when she turned around. "Mrs. Schneider?"

"Yes?"

"You're not gonna tell on us, are you?" She was desperate to know the answer to that torturing question.

Schneider grinned. "Although I think what you two did was terribly wrong and disgusting," she said, "no, I'm not."

The smile Aria gave her couldn't really be more sincere. "Thank you."


End file.
